Community and Partnerships

Every week at Buddy Club, a group of local refugees join us at Freemen’s for support with schoolwork, language practice, and fun activities that help build confidence and friendships.

Last week, we began with some engaging worksheets and offered help with homework before moving on to our creative stations. The children had two exciting options: making friendship bracelets or assembling sweet cones, which will be included in aid packages for countries in need.

Everyone enjoyed getting hands-on and creative and a few couldn’t resist treating themselves to a sweet or two! It was a wonderful afternoon of learning, laughter, and giving back.

As part of our ongoing commitment to wellbeing, Freemen’s took part in Hello Yellow Day to raise awareness and vital funds for YoungMinds, a charity dedicated to supporting children’s mental health.

The day was filled with uplifting activities, including a bake sale, a gratitude wall, and a fantastic live performance of Yellow by our talented school band. Pupils and staff embraced the theme by wearing bright yellow accessories, and lunchtime saw plenty of dancing, laughter, and energy across the campus.

Our Year 3 pupils had a truly special enrichment visit to Walton Heath Manor.

They sang a selection of songs, spoke with the residents, and enjoyed spending time together. The children loved hearing stories, sharing smiles, and bringing a little music and cheer to the afternoon.

It was a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to connect with the community, show kindness, and learn the importance of giving back. A memorable experience for both the children and the residents!

Earlier this summer, one of our Year 11 students, Jeff returned to an orphanage in Democratic Republic of Congo delivering books.

As part of his visit, Jeff delivered a box of books from our junior library including a selection of brand-new picture books. The children were all so happy to receive them and enjoyed exploring the stories and illustrations. We are so proud of his commitment to service and community outreach.

Carrots, courgettes, potatoes, turnips and corn on the cob were all part of the harvested food donated to epsom-ewell food bank today.

All the vegetables had been homegrown at the school by the hands of teachers and pupils during their Wednesday morning enrichment sessions.

Headmaster, Mr. Martin, was honoured to speak at the Eastside Young Leaders Academy graduation ceremony this August.

Mr. Martin took the opportunity to honour Ray Lewis, founder and CEO of EYLA in his speech to students and staff, reflecting on Ray’s infectious commitment, enthusiasm and his passionate belief in the students.

Both Freemen’s and EYLA alumnus attended the graduation which celebrated students who worked extremely hard and managed to secure assisted places at boarding schools in 2024.

The ceramic flowers painted by the students have formed part of the 1,500 flowers displayed in the memorial garden which was unveiled on 10 October, to coincide with World Mental Health Day and part of the Out of Sight, Out of Mind? project.

War heroes, a Titanic survivor, and a muse for Picasso are among the 9,000 to be commemorated through a memorial garden to honour the forgotten residents of Europe’s largest cluster of psychiatric hospitals.

The poignant and moving ceremony saw local dignitaries, faith leaders, schools and members of the community came together to commemorate those buried at the site.

Theresa Kenefick, Friends of Horton Cemetery Trustee told the guests the event showed how far we had come as a society and a stark reminder that everyone had to respect human life and be treated equally. She added the event “was to celebrate and stride forward in understanding mental health”.

“We are thrilled that the students from Freemen’s are involved in this great initiative within our local community. The students have enjoyed making the ceramic flowers, while learning the importance of ensuring that Epsom’s residents are not forgotten. We look forward to seeing them in the memorial garden at Horton Cemetery,” said Elizabeth Bowey, Head of Art.

Roland Martin, headmaster, added: “At Freemen’s we pride ourselves in working closely with the community. Being part of the memorial garden initiative at Horton is wonderful for our students and particularly poignant as we also celebrate Mental Health Day. Wellbeing and pastoral care is fundamental to everything we do at the School. Well done to everyone involved in the project.”

Eight state and independent schools took part in a new programme set up by Freemen’s, aimed at middle and aspiring leaders.

A middle leader from each school reviewed a tricky topic at another school, undertook further research and presented their findings to the host school. Topics included ‘Supporting high achieving pupils’, ‘Development of outdoor learning’ and ‘Effective use of technology to enhance learning’.

45 students from three local state schools joined together with students from Freemen’s to debate a wide range of topics.

Over 20 Freemen’s students from U4 (Year 9) to L6 (Year 12) Chaired and Co-chaired the committees, including teaching younger pupils how to participate in a conference.

Over 110 students from 12 schools took part in Freemen’s 11th Love Languages competition.

Performers sang, danced and recited poetry in one or more modern foreign languages, based around the theme ‘Nature and the environment’.