City of London Freemen's School
City of London Freemen's School (CLFS) is a co-educational private school for day and boarding pupils, located at Ashtead Park in Surrey, England. It is the sister school of the City of London School and the City of London School for Girls, which are both independent single-sex schools located within the City of London itself. All three schools receive funding from the City's Cash.[1] The school's head is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
| City of London Freemen's School (CLFS) | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
, , KT21 1ET | |
| Coordinates | 51°18′28″N 00°17′14″W / 51.30778°N 0.28722°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent school Day and boarding school |
| Motto | Latin: Domine Dirige Nos |
| Established | 1854 |
| Department for Education URN | 125349 Tables |
| Headmaster | Mr Roland Martin |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Age | 7 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 842 |
| Houses | Hale, Gresham and Whittington |
| Colour(s) | red and white |
| Website | www |
The Good Schools Guide described the school as "A traditional academic and sporty school in a stunning setting with impressive facilities but not at all elitist – in fact quite the opposite."[2]
History edit
The school was founded in 1854 by the Corporation of London, and was originally located in Brixton, London to educate orphans of the freemen of the city.[3] It is still possible for such orphan children to be educated as "Foundationers" at the school with the costs of their education borne by the City of London Corporation. The School is set in 57 acres (230,000 m2) of Ashtead Park in the heart of Surrey, having moved from Brixton to Ashtead in 1926.[3]
The school celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2004 with a year long series of events. The Anniversary started with a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral attended by the whole school (now numbering over 800) and culminated in the school being represented with a float in the annual Lord Mayor’s Show.[citation needed]
Houses edit
The School has three Houses: Gresham, Hale and Whittington (colours green, red and blue respectively). These are named after the influential Londoners and school benefactors Sir Thomas Gresham, Warren Stormes Hale and Richard Whittington. Pupils are assigned to a House as they start at the school and they stay in it throughout the school. Since it is now predominantly a day school and there are limited numbers of boarders, houses do not have the same connotations as in traditional independent schools being used solely for Inter-House Competitions and weekly House Assemblies. Siblings are assigned to the same house.
Boarding house edit
The boarding house is located in a new building located next to the new music block and the junior school.
Old Freemen's edit
Once pupils leave school they become part of Old Freemen’s Association, which includes the Old Freemen's Rugby Football Club, Cricket Club and Hockey Club. There is also a Guild of Scholars of the City of London, which was formed to encourage former pupils from the three ‘City Schools’ to develop links with The City of London. Membership is open to all former pupils, staff, and retired staff, who must have obtained their ‘Freedom of the City of London’ but there is no subscription.
In addition any pupil aged 14–17, who is still at school may apply to become an Apprentice to a Freeman of the City at little cost and minimal commitment. They will then be entitled, at the age of 21, to apply for the Freedom of the City and membership of the Guild of Scholars. This Apprenticeship will be of particular interest to those who wish to pursue a career in the city. Annual events are organised to promote fellowship among the members, including an annual dinner and visits to places of interest.
Drama and music edit
The school organises a number of performances each year, and these have included Oliver!, Oklahoma!, Cabaret, Les Misérables and Into the Woods.[citation needed] The latest addition to this list is Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which was performed in December 2009. The senior school musical for 2011 was "Evita". The latest production was of Road by Jim Cartwright.[citation needed]
Feeder schools edit
Notable former pupils edit
Former pupils are known as Old Freemen. Some better known Old Freemen include:
- Rory Burns - Surrey and England cricketer[4][5]
- Simon Cowell (presenter) - MBE, presenter of Animal Planet and Wildlife SOS[6]
- Warwick Davis - actor, star of Willow, also appeared in the Star Wars and Harry Potter movie series[4][7]
- Andrew Garfield - actor appeared in the films Red Riding, Boy A and Lions for Lambs as well as the plays Romeo & Juliet, The Laramie Project, Kes and the Channel 4 show Sugar Rush, The Social Network and The Amazing Spider-Man[4]
- Andrew Goddard - gastroenterologist[8]
- Ashley Mote - former UKIP MEP[9]
- Anders Nielsen - badminton player[4]
- Alexandra Rickham - Paralympic sailor[4]
- Guy Spier - investor[10]
- Joe Strummer-lead singer of punk rock band the Clash. Strummer's real name was John Mellor (died December 2002)[4]
- Gavin Turk - one of the Young British Artists[4]
- Andy Ward - progressive rock drummer best known for playing in Camel in the 1970s[11]
References edit
- ^ "CITY'S CASH ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2016" (PDF). www.cityoflondon.gov.uk. Corporation of the City of London. (PDF) from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ . The Good Schools Guide. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ a b "History". City of London Freemen's School. 2021. from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Development and alumini relations". City of London Freemen's School. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ "Rory Burns | England Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo.com. from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "The Ashtead Link". The Ashtead Link - Journal of the Old Freemen's Association (27): 12–13, 16–17. March 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ Ryder, Liam (30 April 2022). "Warwick Davis' quiet life in Epsom - from growing up in Surrey to lucky Star Wars break". Surrey Live. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ "Goddard, Sir Andrew (Francis)". Who's Who. A & C Black. 2022. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U283172. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "Mote, Ashley". Who's Who. A & C Black. 2021. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U45096. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Spier, Guy (2014). The education of a value investor. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter 2: The perils of an elite education. ISBN 978-1-13-727881-4.
- ^ . Official Andy Ward Website. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
External links edit
- Official website
- Cityoflondon.gov.uk