City of London Freemens/CLFS

[Sep18]

We are looking at City of London in Ashtead for year 3 and I wondered if anyone has any recent experience and views on the junior school. Thanks!

Not personally but I hope that this prompts someone else to answer.

We are losing a few from our year into Freemans starting in Sept. They sat the assessment in Nov/Dec and found out before Xmas I think. Not everyone who sat it got in and there are some splitting up of friendship groups. There are a few "getting to know you" camps towards the end of the summer for the kids but nothing that runs over the summer break.

Those joining are looking forward to it. Smaller class sizes and a new challenge along with the plan that the children go through the school. The grounds and school itself are beautiful and well equipped.

@Epwell I know there is a new head of juniors joining who seems wonderful. Maybe things will change? Is the bullying across the juniours? When I visited the kids seemed very sweet.

We're in the current YR3 (Form 1) and have not experienced any bullying. My child is very kind and has made friends across the year group and is happy at the school. They mix the children well throughout the year using enrichment activities such as biking skills, singing at church / care homes, outdoor learning and learning new sports. My child reports kindness to classmates and the wider community is talked about weekly in assembly and within the class. The older children in the school that we've encountered are polite and helpful, they help out with younger years in sports events, Library activities, etc. I obviously had concerns when applying given the posts on bullying - but visited on various opens days and spoke to many pupils (all the way up to 6th form) before accepting our offer. I can't comment on interactions with teachers due to issues because we haven't needed to. I spoke briefly to the new headmaster of Junior, Mr Harry and he's nice and my child likes him as he's been attending various events with them. We are new to the school with no prior connection. The school is selective and sadly a few of our friends did not get offers.

Our child started at this school last year, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. The school strikes an excellent balance between academics and extracurricular activities, creating a well-rounded curriculum. One of the things we truly appreciate is how seriously bullying is addressed — the staff ensures a safe and inclusive environment for all students. The teachers, leadership, and all staff are incredibly supportive and always willing to help. We’ve seen so much growth in our child, and we highly recommend this school to any parent looking for a nurturing and balanced educational environment.

@curiousmum32 thank you. That's lovely feedback and much appreciated.

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