Freeman College, Sheffield
Freeman College is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in Sheffield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Freeman College in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Freeman College are Seven Hills School (0.5 miles); Seven Hills School (0.5 miles, Good); Willow Park School (0.6 miles); and Discovery Academy (0.7 miles).
Seven Hills SchoolSeven Hills SchoolWillow Park SchoolDiscovery Academy
Who goes there
Freeman College has a SEN unit for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 65 places, 50 pupils on roll. Freeman College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sheffield Rail Station, about 380 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
32 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Arundel Gate/Cs123 (adjacent), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1328 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Sheffield (267), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
SEN unit: Autism, SEMH, MLD
SEN Provision
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Freeman College
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Freeman College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Freeman College is in Sheffield; for families living there:
- Sheffield's school travel policy: Home to School Travel and Transport Policy September 2023
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 88
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 33
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 88 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 33 serious and 55 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
14 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Sheffield is 17 (the median across 193 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Sheffield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sheffield
Across Sheffield council
Places available
6,421
Applications
6,416
Got 1st preference
88.7%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Sheffield council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(10)
Special educational needs provision
Freeman College has a SEN unit for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 65 places, 50 pupils on roll.
Freeman College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Freeman College
What is Freeman College's Ofsted rating?
Freeman College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024.
What is the catchment area for Freeman College?
No fixed boundary. When Freeman College is oversubscribed, Sheffield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Freeman College have specialist SEN provision?
Freeman College has a SEN unit for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 65 places, 50 pupils on roll. Freeman College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Freeman College?
Apply through Sheffield's coordinated admissions process, naming Freeman College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Freeman College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 88 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 33 serious and 55 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 14 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Sheffield is 17 (the median across 193 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Freeman College?
Freeman College is at Sterling Works, 88 Arundel Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 2NG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)