Freman College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 June 2024

Pupils thrive in the friendly environment at Freman College. They are well cared for and enjoy excellent relationships with the adults. There is a strong pastoral support system in place, which gives pupils extra help if they need it. Pupils are consistently kind and respectful towards each other. They show high levels of tolerance and understanding of each other's differences. Pupils act in a manner that ensures their peers feel included and welcome. Staff have high expectations for how well pupils should achieve and behave. Pupils know this. They appreciate that their teachers challenge and support them to do well. Pupils' behaviour is calm and orderly, in classrooms and during social time. They want to do well. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve highly in their external exams. This sets them up very well for their next stage of life. Pupils belong to individual 'houses' and are very positive about this system. Younger pupils enjoy making friends with older students during form time. They love to compete against each other in a wide range of activities, including sports, music, art, photography and drama. Pupils support each other to do well in these competitions. There is a strong sense of team spirit within the school.

What the school should improve

• Sometimes, teachers do not give pupils sufficient opportunities to develop their resilience or confidence. Consequently, pupils are passive in their learning and reluctant to take risks. They remain in their comfort zone rather than push themselves. The school needs to ensure that pupils receive the support they need to build their confidence and motivation in all lessons.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)