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Secondary education

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Original poster

Grey Coat Hospital - waiting lists

176 replies

davisson · 04/03/2020 10:42

Anyone ever had any success on getting into Greycoats via the waiting list - CofE place - and if so what was your position on the waiting list to start with. Just when we get the letter from them, want to prepare myself and not have any false hope (which of course I can't help but have at the moment)

OP posts:
Original poster
davisson · 05/03/2020 17:44

This makes me want to cry!....I feel that I should never have applied. I have found the whole thing a nightmare from beginning to end....

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stclair · 05/03/2020 17:53

It’s just a horrible process isn’t it. Did your Dd get a place somewhere?

Original poster
davisson · 05/03/2020 18:24

She has - for which I should and must be grateful - but nowhere near the stats or clubs or brilliance of Greycoats and it isn't a faith school either. I feel pretty defeated...

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stclair · 05/03/2020 18:46

Someone at church was telling me that her daughter didn’t get in due to distance a couple of years ago. She was having a horrible time at the school she was allocated so her mum went to GCH in tears to beg a place and she was successful! So I guess never give up hope, girls do leave during the school year and places come up.

Original poster
davisson · 05/03/2020 19:02

I am more than willing to beg!

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tiggermummy70 · 05/03/2020 22:04

The year DD1 got in they said they had over 1100 applications that year they offered 167 places.

please don't give up completely as of those applications they don't tell you how many were invalid before they started cos they were outside the diocese or didn't return all the forms etc.
I am still keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Original poster
davisson · 05/03/2020 22:18

@tiggermummy70 - thank you! That was a lovely message to read...

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cochola · 06/03/2020 11:53

Ive been watching these msgs with interest as DD will be aspiring to 2021 entry. Is it too early how long the NVR test is for and how many questions, and what the literacy test consists of ( eg comprehension or essay) and how much time they get? Many many thx!

Original poster
davisson · 06/03/2020 16:19

So I finally got the letter. It says she is 10th on the waiting list in her category (although obvs I don't know which one that is). Is that at all likely? Could that many move? I'm trying not to hope too much....

@cochola - I can't remember the timings although it was only about three months ago but about 45 mins I think for NVR and then an essay. Don't think that was anything else. What was stressed to me was that it wasn't pass/fail but just a way of banding them. They are pretty opaque about it and don't give you much more info than is on the waiting list...

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Original poster
davisson · 06/03/2020 16:20

@cochola sorry not waiting list - I meant website !

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cochola · 06/03/2020 17:57

@davisson thanks. Hope you get that desired reward for your patience!

SW16 · 06/03/2020 18:41

Banding tests usually place students in 3 or 5 bands. So she is 10th on the list for a faith place in one of 3 or 5 bands?

Is there a language aptitude list as well?

I wish everyone luck but to a large extent applying to a school like Grey Coat is surely to some degree speculative? I would be keeping my fingers crossed and stay on the waiting list but looking at appealing other schools on your list and going on other waiting lists if your allocated school is a complete no hoper.

al1979 · 06/03/2020 19:36

@tiggermummy70 - You don't often get the chance to thank a stranger for an act of kindness but I get the chance to thank you. My daughter was on the Language place waiting list. I'm afraid I can't afford an Indie for my DD. She's bright and I was despairing that she wouldn't go to an academic school. We're not faith applicants so I could not apply to anywhere on a church place. I was hoping that there would be movement after offer day but to my joy and surprise, she was directly offered a language place. That can only be because some kind and thoughtful soul (YOU) took a private place and thoughtfully notified GCH before offer day. You have made my DD very very happy and enabled a child who would really benefit have had the opportunity (and a lovely offer day experience). So thank you very, very much. It's life-changing and much appreciated.

tiggermummy70 · 06/03/2020 19:37

The banding test divides them into 3 bands.
top 25%, middle 50% , bottom 25%.

Then in each category C of E places & other faiths they are only allowed to take a max number of.girls from each band.
This is to ensure they are Non selective and there is a range of abilities across the year entry.

Language test is optional.
It uses the made up language to test child's ability to learn a language without any advantage to girls that already speak more than one language at home.
Yr DD1 took it, she didn't get a top 15 spot. one of the five girls in her class did and she spoke 2-3 language.
This DD2 took test and she got a top 15 spot.
Top 15 language girls get offered a spot regardless of faith.

we worked it out that its potentially 300-450 girls that sit exam.

@davisson. They will offer spaces to 150-160 spaces. Lots can change from when you apply to when you get results. I'm sure DD1 had 3-5 in her class and there are 6 classes across the year. So I don't think 10th is impossible but might be very close to term start if you can hold on that long.

Original poster
davisson · 06/03/2020 20:16

@tiggermummy70 thank you for that assessment. It's good to know that. In fact, as you and @SW16 have pointed out the figures are still stacked against and so from feeling optimistic a few hours ago, it looks pretty impossible pre-September. But I'll not give up hope quite yet & and am willing to hold on.....
@al1979 many congratulations to your DD! A great achievement to get one of those spots. I'm so pleased for her. I couldn't do inde either so I understand where you are coming from and it's so lovely to hear good news

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tiggermummy70 · 07/03/2020 09:20

@al1979 Thank you for your lovely message.
Hope you don't mind I have sent you a DM.

The biggest thing is there is movement of girls into and a few out of the school right up to October half term. I have no idea if parents home schooled their girl while they waited or were in another school?

JoyceByersWasRight · 08/03/2020 15:38

Hi OP, reporting back with an update as promised; lady at church's DD was 9th on the waiting list and got a place before September. Fingers crossed of your DD.

Original poster
davisson · 09/03/2020 19:53

@JoyceByersWasRight thank you so much for remembering! That is great to hear....!

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tiggermummy70 · 13/03/2020 18:50

Has there been any movement on the WL?

I keep wondering............

Original poster
davisson · 16/03/2020 07:08

Not for us yet ☹️ but today is the deadline for accepting state school offers...

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user1460670891 · 30/03/2020 18:48

My DD has been offered a language aptitude place from the waiting list. It was totally unexpected and we're not sure what to do.

3 years ago, her sister, who was number 56 on the waiting list, was offered a place (Other Churches) in late August. She didn't go though.

MarchingFrogs · 30/03/2020 20:30

Does the reason that your older DD didn't take up the place also apply to your younger one?

Are you uncertain because you / she are no longer as keen on GCH as you were initially, or because your DD is actually happy with her (presumably originally lower preference) allocated school?

Eeyoresstickhouse · 30/03/2020 20:36

As an old (very old) Grey, I can say that girls do leave during the year. So dont give up hope. My old Grey friends have now got girls going through the school, and it is still a lovely school. Although the buildings have changed a hell of a lot since I was there by the sounds of it!

tiggermummy70 · 30/03/2020 20:38

I randomly got another call from GCH asking me to confirm that we didn't want the space offered to our daughter so I assume they are still working through the wait list and filling any spaces albiet more slowly.

user1460670891 · 30/03/2020 22:21

MarchingFrogs - to answer your question, both DDs got offers from their first choice independent schools, which are both walking distance. The eldest didn't get a language place. The youngest just did, but would like to go to the very selective independent school she got into. If money were no object I would just turn down the language place, but in these now very uncertain times we really wonder what the best thing to do is.