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. Demand for places from outside the catchment area is high and as a consequence the college is oversubscribed every year.

Students at the college are ambitious and hardworking. Relationships between teachers and students are relaxed and friendly, and students are pleasant and rewarding to teach.

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

The college held specialist status in Humanities jointly with its partner middle schools, Edwinstree and Ralph Sadleir. In 2009 it left LA control to become a Foundation school before becoming one of the first wave of schools to take the opportunity to convert to Academy Status in 2011. These initiatives 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.

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 2017 and 2018 Freman students’ results, at Grade 4 and above, were over 10% better than the national average.

The college’s A Level results are consistently high. In 2018 over 80% of our students achieved the grades necessary to move on to their first choice of University, a large proportion of which belong 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.

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 35 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 Art. 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 to 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 a ceiling mounted projector linked to the network and several curriculum areas are fully equipped with interactive whiteboards. 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 90 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 teaching assistants 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 also runs a Cycle to Work scheme which enables staff to make considerable savings on purchasing a bike for commuting.  Staff are able to sign up to CSSC through Freman College in order to gain benefits of membership including discounted cinema tickets and meals, access to Royal Palaces and English Heritage sites.

Freman College also operates an Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme with Octopus for staff earning over £30,000 a year on a permanent contract.  This offers considerable savings on the hire purchase of a new or nearly-new EV.

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 ECTs 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 ECT induction with mentor support from a member of SLT and a commitment to continuing your professional development.