| City of London Freemen's School (CLFS) | |
| Motto: | la|Domine Dirige Nos |
| Established: | 1854 |
| Type: | Independent school Day and boarding school |
| Coordinates: | 51.3078°N -0.2872°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Surrey#England#United Kingdom |
| Head Label: | Headmaster |
| Head: | Roland Martin |
| Address: | Ashtead Park |
| City: | Ashtead |
| Country: | England |
| Postcode: | KT21 1ET |
| Urn: | 125349 |
| Enrolment: | 842 |
| Gender: | Co-educational |
| Lower Age: | 7 |
| Upper Age: | 18 |
| Houses: | Hale, Gresham and Whittington |
| Colours: | red and white |
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.
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] In 2023, 60% of pupils achieved A*-A in A Levels and 84% achieved 9-7 in GCSEs.[3]
| Short Title: | Foundation of a School for Orphans of Freemen of the City of London Act 1850 |
| Type: | Act |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Long Title: | An Act for establishing a School for Orphans of Freemen of the City of London. |
| Year: | 1850 |
| Citation: | 13 & 14 Vict. c. 10 |
| Royal Assent: | 14 August 1850 |
| Status: | current |
| Original Text: | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukppa/Vict/13-14/10/pdfs/ukppa_18500010_en.pdf |
| Collapsed: | yes |
The school was founded in 1854 by the Corporation of London, and was originally located in Brixton, London to educate orphans of freemen of the city.[4] It is still possible for such 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 57acres of Ashtead Park in Surrey, having moved from Brixton to Ashtead in 1926.[4]
The boarding house is next to Main House and the junior school.
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. 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.
Former pupils are known as Old Freemen. Some better known Old Freemen include: