We believe that you learn as much from what goes on outside of the classroom as what goes on inside. Skills like teamwork, collegiality and communication mostly come from those things you do in addition to the curriculum.
This is why the co-curricular programme is so important to what we do at Freemen's. We offer lots of opportunities for you to find what you might enjoy or what you might be passionate about now or in the future.
The programme is enormous and covers everything from performing arts and sport to the enrichment, elective activities and House programmes.
As you move through the school and explore new activities, you will develop character traits such as leadership, resilience and empathy, as well as make a real difference to others.
You will sign up for your weekly co-curricular activities each term, ensuring you have a full and balanced programme to support the academic curriculum. Activities occur before School, at lunchtimes and after School, with most sports fixtures (plus CCF and DofE expedition/exercises) from Year 7 upwards taking place on Saturdays.
House Events
All pupils belong to one of three Houses (Gresham, Hale and Whittington) throughout their time at Freemen’s. They will compete in a range of competitions including music, drama, sport as well as house chef, house photography, house debating and more. Pupils are based in form groups aligned with their house as they move up through the key stages. The house system also gives pupils leadership opportunities throughout each key stage.
Enrichment
Pupils experience a variety of unique activities in an enrichment session each week (or bi-weekly). These timetabled sessions give the pupils a chance to learn new skills in a less formal way than academic lessons. The enrichment programme runs through each key stage, building on the new skills and character traits. The activities also provide opportunities for pupils to lead others and make a difference, with the Year 12 pupils running their own sessions for younger pupils.
Sport
The Sports programme enables all pupils to aim for excellence at a range of team and individual sports throughout the year, representing their house and school. Pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 play most of their fixtures during the week, with the rest of the School (Year 7 to 13) competing on Saturdays against the leading independent Schools in the South East.
Performing Arts
The performing arts programme gives pupils an opportunity to develop and perform through the extensive music and drama programmes as well as our emerging dance programme. Productions include Just William's War, Titanic The Musical and an outdoor Lord of the Flies. Musicians perform at venues such as Milton Court and St John's Smith Square. Pupils can access individual instrumental lessons as well as speech and drama (LAMDA).
Duke of Edinburgh Awards
The Duke of Edinburgh award is a life-changing experience and an opportunity to discover new interests and talents, as well as to excel and gain essential experiences outside the classroom. At Freemen's we offer Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.
Open to all, a DofE award improves young people's self-esteem and build confidence as well as make friends and have fun along the way. They gain essential skills and attributes for work and life such as resilience, problem-solving, team-working, communication and drive, enhancing CVs and university and job applications.
There are four sections to complete at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold. They involve helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity. We run walking expeditions through the school.
Combined Cadet Force (CCF)
The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a youth organisation sponsored by the Ministry of Defence which operates in schools throughout the country. The CCF at Freemen’s is run in conjunction with Glyn School in Epsom, Surrey.
The aims of the CCF are to promote self-reliance, teamwork, leadership, and camaraderie in a disciplined environment. Cadets learn skills such as weapons handling, shooting, fieldcraft, drill, navigation and first aid. These build towards progressive training awards which can be earned at the end of the training programme.
Cadets choose to join the RAF section or the Army section; this will determine what activities and training programme they will follow. Each year, the Contingent runs numerous weekend training events, range days and a week-long camp during the Easter holidays. In the summer holidays, the cadets attend an Army or RAF annual camp for a week.
Many cadet-related activities which you take part in can count towards your DofE sections at Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards.