Freman College
Freman College is a successful and high achieving school with results that place it amongst the top schools nationally. We welcome applications from ambitious teachers who are committed to excellence for both themselves and their students.
We seek colleagues who are prepared to make a full contribution to the continued development and success of the college and who wish to take full advantage of the opportunities provided to develop their own skills and expertise.
In return we offer exciting opportunities to all teachers, be they ECT, middle or senior leaders, or aspiring to those positions. We also offer some significant staff incentives.
Introduction
Freman College was established in the rural town of Buntingford in 1971. As an upper school it was designed to be a centre for the life of its community and to provide quality, fully comprehensive education for students aged between 13 and 18. This remains the case today. There are currently 1,000 students on roll, including over 240 in the Sixth Form.
Freman is unique in Hertfordshire as the only remaining upper school and this makes it an exciting and innovative place to work. We work closely with our partner middle schools and first schools and strive to make the transition as seamless as possible. Whilst most of our students come directly from the neighbouring middle schools, Freman also attracts students from the wider environs of Royston and Stevenage. Many parents and carers from these areas transfer their children into the middle schools in year five to ensure a place at Freman. We are proud of our reputation within the local community.
As a result of the quality of relationships and our high expectations of students’ behaviour, the atmosphere around college is exceptionally calm and positive. It is something that visitors always comment on; teachers are able to teach and students are able to learn: and as a result, students achieve very well.
Buntingford is a picturesque town in rural East Hertfordshire which is situated just off the main A10, 35 miles north of London and 20 miles south of Cambridge with easily accessible transport links to both cities.
Status
Freman is a standalone academy, enjoying the autonomy which motivated its decision to convert in 2011. We have attracted significant extra funding over recent years which has helped to ensure the college’s stability and the development and improvement of its facilities. It is financially secure, academically successful, fully staffed by highly motivated specialists and populated by young people who are appreciative, thoughtful and talented.
Academic results and performance
The college is fully comprehensive, taking students from across the full ability range. It achieves very good results.
Each year, the progress made by our KS4 students puts us amongst the top 5-15% of schools nationally. Levels of attainment in many subjects are significantly above the national results. For example, in both English and Mathematics in 2024, Freman students’ results, at Grade 4 and above, were over 20% better than the national average.
The college’s A Level results are consistently high. In 2024 over 96% of our students achieved the grades necessary to move on to their first choice of university, with 44% of students going to the prestigious Russell Group.
However, success is measured not just in terms of academic qualifications but also in students’ personal development and their achievements in extra-curricular activities such as drama, music, sport and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, all of which thrive in the College.
Our House system and vertical tutor groups are at the heart of what we do. These inculcate a strong sense of belonging, foster participation and create for students and staff a sense of ‘family’. Students are fiercely loyal to their House and competition between Houses is passionate. We believe that this pastoral structure is a key ingredient in building the caring and supportive relationships between students of different ages and between students and staff that are a hallmark of Freman.
Although only established in the 1970s, Freman has many well established and much-loved traditions. To mention but a few, in addition to our fantastic inter-House competitions, each year brings the Event - our summer ‘festival’, the tutor group Christmas hamper competition, the Upper Sixth leavers’ fancy dress parade and end of year inter tutor group rounders played by the whole school. Students have a real loyalty and affection for the school’s idiosyncrasies.
Broad education
The college’s formal day runs from 8.40am to 3.15pm with 5 timetabled lessons of 60 minutes each.
Students complete Key Stage 3 in our partner middle schools and begin aspects of Key Stage 4 in Year 9. In addition to maths, English and science students have four GCSE option choices with most students taking history or geography and at least one language GCSE.
In the Sixth Form students have 25 A Level options. In addition, we also offer 4 Cambridge Technical courses.
Students will also spend up to 30 minutes each day in their vertical tutor groups which, combined with the strong House system sit at the heart of the college’s pastoral care. The House system supports a well-established range of inter-house competitions in sport, music and drama which are largely organised by senior students. This is indicative of the emphasis the college places on enabling students to exercise initiative and take on responsibility within the college community.
Extra-curricular provision
The college provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Clubs exist in a wide range of fields ranging from music to drama to sports to Minecraft to Gardening club. A large number of students take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. The college welcomes staff whose interests and expertise allows the extra-curricular provision to grow and flourish.
Students also benefit from a large number of recreational and educational visits. Ski trips, trips to Greece, Rome, Belgium and France are a regular feature of college life as well as regular field trips and visits to the theatre and art galleries.
Accommodation and facilities
Located on an extensive site on the edge of Buntingford and surrounded by attractive countryside, the college’s buildings have undergone considerable expansion in recent years. The curriculum areas all have their rooms grouped together. The college boasts eight science labs, a suite of specialist art rooms, specialist music practice rooms, a drama studio and a magnificent sports hall with specialist teaching rooms for PE, two fully equipped IT suites and a fitness suite.
The extensive playing fields include hard tennis courts, netball courts, an excellent cricket square and a multi-use games area just outside the college gates. Plans are well advanced for a new 3G pitch with community use.
The Sixth Form have their own accommodation which includes private study and social areas.
ICT provision
The college has invested heavily in ICT for a number of years and is committed to developing the very best provision in order to enhance teaching and learning. The college ICT strategy is developed by a highly capable and motivated Network Manager in consultation with the Senior Leadership Team.
We run a Windows network with a wide range of applications, including Microsoft Office and subject-specific software programmes. We also provide home access to the college network for all staff and students. This has given staff a greater flexibility in spreading their workload over the day as well as enabling students to legally use the full range of college software without having to purchase the usual licences.
All classrooms have either an interactive TV or ceiling mounted projector linked to the network. We have approximately 600 computers comprising PCs, laptops and tablets. Our systems are reliable and effective.
The wireless network, which covers the entire site, allows for staff and students to bring their own devices into college to work from – something which the sixth form students in particular find essential for their studies.
The staff
There are around 120 staff at Freman College who are all committed to providing the very best education for our students. It is note-worthy that the children of a quarter of the staff at the college have been or are currently being educated at the college; a powerful statement about our belief in the quality of education we offer.
The staff includes a well-qualified and extremely capable team of support staff who work closely and supportively alongside teachers. The staff room at the college is a vibrant space where colleagues informally share information on individual students as well as classroom practice – and cake at Cake Club every Thursday!
The college is committed to the professional development of all its staff with many teachers and support staff involved in taking further professional qualifications in addition to the wide range of in-house training that takes place. It is a rewarding and supportive environment in which to work.
Staff incentives
Financial benefits
Freman College pays its teaching staff on the London Fringe pay scale. This means that Freman College pays its teaching staff an additional £1,100pa on their basic salary.
Where there is a need the college will pay for staff to complete their minibus driver training and / or assessments. The college has 3 minibuses.
The college actively promotes the on-going professional development of its staff and, when agreed in advance, will make a contribution to the costs of studying further degrees courses.
Staff are permitted to use the fully equipped fitness suite before or after college. There is also a subsidised yoga class once a week.
The college offers an EV salary sacrifice scheme to all staff who earn over £30,000 FTE per annum via Octopus; a Cycle to Work scheme which enables staff to make considerable savings on purchasing a bike for commuting, and a Tech scheme to enable staff to spread the cost of purchasing new tech across 12 months. Staff are able to sign up to CSSC through Freman College in order to gain benefits of membership including discounted cinema tickets, access to Royal Palaces and English Heritage sites.
Relocation expenses
In exceptional circumstances successful candidates may be eligible to claim relocation expenses. The maximum payable will be:
- Main scale Teachers - £800
- Middle leader roles - £1,500
- Senior leadership - £2,500
The expenses may be available to any teacher who lives more than 30 miles from the college at the time of appointment and wishes to move closer in order to take up the role. If eligible the expenses may be claimed against invoices for removal costs or solicitors’ fees.
ECT July appointment opportunities and induction programme
The college encourages NQTs to take up their post in July. When ECTs take up this option they will be paid from their start date to 31st August on Unqualified Teachers Scale point 4 (currently £28,738 FTE), before their substantive contract begins on 1st September. We have an excellent programme for ECTs with mentor support from a member of SLT and a commitment to continuing your professional development.
