This guide explains how international families apply to City of London Freemen’s School, from the programs on offer and entry requirements to fees, boarding and the support available at each step. All facts were verified on pages of the school’s official website (freemens.org) visible on 5 August 2026; fees are the published 2026/27 termly rates.
City of London Freemen’s School at a Glance
City of London Freemen’s School was founded by the City of London Corporation in 1854 and is one of its three independent schools, according to the school’s own history pages; it was co-educational from the outset and moved to Ashtead Park in Surrey in 1926, marking 100 years there in 2026. Today it is a co-educational day and boarding school covering Year 3 to Year 13 across four stages: Junior School (Years 3–6), Lower Senior (Years 7–9), Upper Senior (Years 10–11) and Sixth Form (Years 12–13), plus boarding from Year 9 and an Independent Living programme in Year 13. The campus sits in 57 acres of grounds at Ashtead Park. The school reports that around 15% of pupils come from outside the UK, with families joining from places including Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan, and that it met all Independent School Standards in its full ISI inspection in October 2025. Boarding places start at Year 9 (13+), while day places are available from Year 3 (7+).
Programs: Junior, Senior and Sixth Form
City of London Freemen’s School describes its Junior School (Years 3–6) as a nurturing, small-class environment where progression to the Senior School is seamless and exam-free. The Lower Senior years (Years 7–9) combine a broad curriculum with weekly empathy and communication lessons and mentoring from Sixth Form students, preparing pupils for GCSE choices. The Upper Senior years (Years 10–11) centre on GCSEs; the school’s published 2025 GCSE results show 37% of grades at 9, 64% at 8–9, and 82% at 7, 8 or 9. The Sixth Form (Years 12–13) offers 24 A-Level subjects across four pathways: four A-Levels plus an EPQ; four A-Levels with private study; three A-Levels plus an EPQ and the Free Minds programme; or three A-Levels with Free Minds and private study. The EPQ counts as a full AS-level qualification and is the only AS-level that can earn an A*, and Free Minds lets Year 12 students (except Further Maths candidates) pick five courses, one from each of five faculties, each running six weeks with a weekly one-hour seminar. Published 2025 A-Level results were 31% A*, 72% A*/A and 92% A* to B, and the school states that most students go on to their first-choice university, usually in the Russell Group. These are the school’s own reported figures, not a promise of future outcomes.
Entry Requirements and Key Dates
City of London Freemen’s School’s main entry points are Year 3, Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12, with applications for other years (Year 4–10) considered when places allow. The standard route: visit an open event, register online by 1 October in the year before entry (a non-refundable £200 registration fee applies), sit assessments, receive offers in mid-December, and accept with a deposit. For 11+ and deferred 13+ entry, families also register on the ISEB Guardian Portal, and candidates complete the ISEB Pre-Tests — multiple-choice, adaptive, age-standardised online tests in maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning — by the last day of November in Year 6. Junior School assessments (December) cover English, maths and non-verbal reasoning with a one-to-one interview; Senior School assessments (November) add verbal reasoning, an Activities Day with a creative writing task and an interview. Sixth Form applicants taking seven or more GCSEs including maths and English do not sit entrance assessments; entry is based on predicted GCSE grades averaging 6.0 across seven GCSEs plus subject-specific requirements, a questionnaire, an interview and a school reference, with interviews in early November. Offers land in mid-December and scholarship results in January; acceptance requires a £2,000 deposit for day pupils or one full term’s fees for boarders.
International Applicants: UKiset, English and the Application Steps
City of London Freemen’s School runs a dedicated process for pupils living and studying overseas whose first language is not English. Step one is a school report or transcript, plus — for Senior School and Sixth Form applicants (Years 7–12) — the UKiset Entrance Assessment, an online English assessment used internationally; results must be submitted by the end of September in the year before entry, and applications cannot progress without a suitable UKiset profile. English requirements are set by year group: Cambridge English B1 (or equivalent) for Years 7–8, B2 for Years 9–10, and C1 for Year 12. After review, families complete the online registration with the £200 fee, then sit written or online assessments in English, maths and non-verbal reasoning (verbal reasoning is added for Senior School entry), followed by a one-to-one online interview and a confidential school reference. Assessments can be taken at a British Council office or at the school itself, and 11+ candidates must sit the ISEB tests at an approved centre. International Sixth Form applicants who are not taking seven or more GCSEs including English and maths sit written assessments in maths, English and non-verbal reasoning instead. Decision letters are emailed in December, and most candidates have until late January to accept. On acceptance, day pupils pay £2,000 and boarders one full term’s fees; the school then supports CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) and visa applications — for full boarders, per the school’s website — and sends a New Starters Pack in the Summer Term, followed by a full induction programme including a two-day September induction for boarders.
Costs: 2026/27 Fees, Deposits and Extras
City of London Freemen’s School publishes termly fees for 2026/27 (three terms per year). Tuition (excl. VAT): £6,553 per term for Years 3–6, £7,280 for Years 7–8, £8,797 for Years 9–11 and £9,192 for Years 12–13; the school also lists VAT-inclusive rates. Boarding (excl. VAT): full boarding £16,674 (Years 9–11) and £17,091 (Years 12–13); weekly boarding £14,992 (Years 9–11) and £15,409 (Years 12–13). Registration is £200 (non-refundable) for all applicants. Deposits: day pupils pay £2,000, of which £500 offsets the first term’s fees and £1,500 is held without interest and returned when the final account is settled; boarders pay one full term’s fees, with £5,000 held without interest and the remainder offset. Extras published on the fees page include ad hoc boarding for day pupils at £82.50 per night plus VAT, flexi boarding from Year 7 at £75 per night plus VAT including dinner and breakfast, lunch fees of £299 per term (Junior) and £335 (Senior), music lessons at £341 per term plus £46 instrument hire, and EAL English at £53.55 per hour including VAT. Educational trips, public exam entries and transport are invoiced in the relevant term. All figures are from the website version visible on 5 August 2026 and are reviewed by academic year.
Boarding, Support and Planning
Boarding at City of London Freemen’s School is based in Walbrook House, a modern, purpose-built boarding home with around 70 boarders from the UK and overseas. The school offers weekly boarding (structured school week, weekends at home) and flexi boarding from Year 7 for day pupils who want to stay part of the week or occasional weekends. Boarders live in small pods with shared social areas, and have the 57-acre grounds — pool, gym, courts and theatre — available to them. Induction support includes a Summer Term programme for pupils and parents, an online induction for new boarders and a two-day September induction. Scholarships are available at 11+, 13+ and 16+ across academic, sport, drama, music, art and design & technology, and families can apply for up to two on the registration form. Term dates for 2026/27 are: Autumn from 3 September to 15 December 2026, Spring from 6 January to 24 March 2027, and Summer from 13 April to 7 July 2027. For international families, the practical sequence is: UKiset and school report (by end of September), registration by 1 October, assessments in November, offer in December, acceptance by late January with deposit, CAS and visa work in the Spring/Summer terms, then induction ahead of the September start.
Information Currency and Advice
The programs, requirements, fees and dates in this guide were verified against City of London Freemen’s School’s official website on 5 August 2026; termly fees and admissions deadlines change by academic year, so always confirm against the latest published pages and any offer documents before acting. If you would like to map your child’s age, English level and budget onto a concrete application plan — entry point, assessment preparation, deposit and visa timing — discuss your specific situation with this site’s advisers.