City of London Freemen's School
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| Motto | Domine Dirige Nos |
|---|---|
| Established | 1854 |
| Type | Public School |
| Affiliations | City of London Corporation |
| Headmaster | Mr. MacDonald |
| Students | 800 |
| Location | Ashtead Park, Surrey, United Kingdom |
City of London Freemen's School, commonly known as CLFS and locally known as Freemen's, is a public school, day and boarding 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, both independent single-sex schools located within the City of London itself. Intake is from age 7 to 18, though many of its pupils enter at 13, and similarly join other independent schools for the sixth form (17 to 18). The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
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[edit] History
The school was founded by the Corporation of London and was originally located in Brixton to educate orphans of the Freemen of the City. 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 Corporation of London.
City of London Freemen’s School is set in 57 acres of Ashtead Park in the heart of Surrey. The School celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2004 with a year long series of events. The Anniversary starts with a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral attended by the whole School (now numbering over 800) and culminates in the School being represented with a float in the annual Lord Mayor’s Show.
[edit] Houses
CLFS 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, which they stay in throughout their school career. Since it is predominantly a day school and there are limited numbers of boarders, Houses do not have the same connotations as in some schools, though are still important for Inter-House Competitions and weekly House Assemblies. If a sibling of a CLFS pupil was to join the school, they would be assigned to the same house.
[edit] Sports
The grounds include rugby, hockey and cricket pitches, as well as two all-weather pitches, one of which is floodlit, with a variety of uses. There are also tennis courts, cricket nets and athletics facilities. The school has a large, modern, multi-purpose Sports Hall complex that incorporates a multi-activity fitness suite. The 25m indoor swimming pool has recently been modernised and refurbished and is used by local swimming clubs.
[edit] Boarding Houses
There is a Girls’ Boarding House and a Boys’ Boarding House. The Girl's Boarding House is Main House, a Georgian mansion built in 1790 by Sir Thomas Wyatt. The Main House remains the focal point of the School.
[edit] Old Freemen's
Once pupils leave school they become part of Old Freemen’s Association, which includes the Old Freemen's Rugby Football Club and the Old Freemen's Cricket 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.
[edit] Drama and music
The school organises a number of performances each year, and these have included Oliver, Oklahoma, Cabaret, Les Miserables and Into the Woods. CLFS was one of the first schools in the country to obtain rights to Cameron Mackintosh's Les Misérables.[citation needed]
[edit] Feeder schools
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- Danes Hill
- Downsend School
- Kingswood House School
- St. Christopher's School
- Milbourne Lodge
[edit] Famous alumni
- Andrew Garfield - Actor who recently appeared in the films Boy A and Lions for Lambs as well as the plays Romeo & Juliet, The Laramie Project, Kes and the Channel 4 show Sugar Rush.
- Joe Strummer - Lead singer of The Clash. Joe's real name was John Mellor (deceased Dec. 2002).
- Warwick Davis - Short Actor, star of Willow (film), also appeared in the Star Wars and Harry Potter movie series.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Theatre Dreams - Website maintained by the Head of Drama
