Grey Coat Hospital - waiting lists

[davisson]

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)

I thought the usual process is you are supposed to hear before the CAF deadline? You either get offered a place or told you may possibly get offered one on the waiting list (after offers go out) or told you are very unlikely to. We were told the later as are most. Usually girls have to score very highly to get a place. There is a chance on that waiting list but you need to be very high up on it.

@Kittensandthat

I thought the usual process is you are supposed to hear before the CAF deadline? You either get offered a place or told you may possibly get offered one on the waiting list (after offers go out) or told you are very unlikely to. We were told the later as are most. Usually girls have to score very highly to get a place. There is a chance on that waiting list but you need to be very high up on it.

Thanks for this. We are in the second category so that’s why I was curious to know what was the score of getting in.

Hi, we were just offered a place, and would love to hear any and all intel about the school. Thanks in advance!

I have a daughter in Yr9 now.

Congrats if you have been offered a space.
Please remember to return acceptence to the school not just accept online! Proof of posting is not proof of acceptance.

Uniform - It is expensive!
You should be invited to NewGrey's Day in June.
Where the girls sign the rolls of Admission.
The PTA run a secondhand uniform sale at this - Assuming no restrictions due to Covid. This is really worth doing.
It's cash only.

Head there first after you are dispactched from the hall.
We got a blazer for £25 instead of £91 + £5 for school badge from John Lewis.
We were able to buy 3 skirts, a blazer, several short/long sleeved blouses and a summer dress, plus some of the PE kit. For a lot less than a blazer, 2 shirts and a skirt from JL!
Be careful of the PE artex shirt - there are a lot that are the wrong colour, it might be worth buying that new.
We bought one for Yr 7 and then at end of Yr8 a letter was sent home to say we had to get another one as it was the wrong colour?
We replied that we had bought that from the PTA over a year ago so would not be replacing it until she has out grown it!
You will need to stitch names and intials onto bits of it in Green thread.
Although it is a summer dress they are allowed to wear the dress all year round.

They are strict on mobile phones and any other device that can access the internet. They will confiscate a phone if it is discovered in their hands or rings in class. Need to turn it off at the gate.
They don't give it back until end of the week and if caught more than once parents are required to collect.

No idea why but if you email the school or record an absence (not illness) you will get an answer eventually by post?
Never got to the bottom of why they don't email. Sure it would save lots of postal costs.

It's a good school and will challenge the girls, however if your girl has any form of SEN you will need to keep on top of it to make sure things happen as they should.

The girls will need an oyster card even if they can walk to school.
They use parentpay for lunch funds and this is an account linked via their oyster card. So they will need to give the school the number off the back of their oyster card for them to link it.

You add monies via the app or there is a machine in the dining hall where they can add cash.

If you have any specific questions feel free to PM or tag me.

Hi there we have been following this tread with interest since last year as we live in Stoke Newington 4.7 miles from GCH and suspected that we would be in a similar position as many on here i.e. relying on the waitlist for our DD who applied this year

We just received our letter and we are number 11 in our category so a similar position to davisson

@davisson - did your DD get in in the end last year?

We are CofE top band (5 years of weekly attendance) and although we don’t know which ability band DD is in, she is in Band A for St Marylebone which was the same test so hopefully the same for GCH

We think it will be tight - does anyone have any positive experiences of getting in from a similar position? Thanks very much

@Stokeyfolks good luck! we are on waiting list too in the 20s for the category

There should be movement however i guess every year you never know what happens. I believe they update the list after 1st April

Thanks @indie123 good luck to you too!

Can I ask what distance you are from GCH please?

@Stokeyfolks im not sure which site they measure from (lower or upper sch) however we are within 2 miles.

I went to grey coats myself so would love for her to get in, i had a good experience there and highly recommend

We’re no 21 in ‘her’ band as c of e but no idea which band as the letter doesn’t say. Prob band 1 based on other 11+ performances but who knows! If so that’s basically no chance as almost all of their band 1 kids would have to decline which is hugely unlikely as most were sibs.

We applied for an open place and a language place so no idea which category either. Either way fingers crossed (even of chances are low lol)

We were in early teens on waiting list last year and got offered a place in the summer. We live a few miles away. Don't give up hope and chase for updates but not too often! And if you already have an offer you like, you are in a good position whatever happens.

Hold your nerves everyone.

Some of the independent schools have closed their Yr7 intake today and the rest close on Friday.
So there maybe a little flurry of movement on the wait lists as they are finalised. Some do hold GCH as their banker while they wait to move up their preferred wait list.

Well done for completing all of this process through Covid. I found it bad enough to do last year without that added stress.

I know this thread is a year old but I was hoping to piggy back! Does anyone have any experience of the waiting list system at Grey Coat? We've been told we're number 19 on the waiting list in our band (which I think is CofE band) and I imagine there will be quite a bit of movement by 15 March acceptance day etc. I'm holding my nerve at the moment but any thoughts would be gratefully received.

Also, are there any parents or current students at GCH who would be willing to let me know about their experience at the school either by email or phone chat??? thanks so much

Sorry, just posted my message above having only read the 2020 messages and have now spotted more recent posts above mine from just a day or two ago, doh!

Because of Covid, and the fact that we haven't ever seen inside the school, we have no feel at all for what it's like other than from what people are saying on Mumsnet. Is anyone happy to share their thoughts and experience of the school? The main message I'm getting is that it's very good but pretty strict. Some have described it as oppressive, but that could just be from a couple of old students who for personal reasons didn't have a good experience...

We're after somewhere that is nurturing, with good pastoral care and not hot-housey but a place where most of the kids genuinely want to learn and do well.

Hi

Been reading all the threads notified today that my DD is now in position 6 from 24 2nd March for GCH and wondered if there is still a chance as the new position is based on second offers being made. Hoping that she still has a chance.

DD was offered Harris Peckham which we turned down - 2 independent school offers but bursary waiting list. Just completed a Kingsdale Foundation School banding test and is in band 1 but won’t know waiting list position probably until Friday so at the moment DD has no official school place 🥺

Would be grateful for any additional information on the GCH waiting lists once second round of offers have been made.

Hi @Char02 we were in the 20s too (not sure what band). I emailed GCH yesterday for an update but they haven't responded , how did you find out your new position. I'm guessing you live near me as Harris Peckham is not far from me, we didn't get any of our preferences and was allocated a school in Walworth. Awaiting updates from the schools for second round. To now be 6th places though is very good, fingers crossed for you !

If you are 6 this early on, you have a very good chance.

Hi @indie123 thank you for your reply. They will not tell me the band my DD is in for some reason but every two days I continued to resend the same email, requesting the waiting list update....lol. I guess they got fed up of all my emails and responded but still refuse to state the which band. I would keep emailing, I tried calling and no one in admissions answers the phone. Do continue to email them until you get a reply and I hope they respond to you soon.

I am close to Dulwich, but by 1st I was told all schools should have further updates Kingsdale said they would get back to me in a few days I really hope so because tomorrow is last day of term🙈

@Char02 ahh right lol yeah i think being persistent is key, i will email again! Yes I heard updates will be given by 1st too for my borough..was hoping would've heard by now but on Thursday I will be emailing first thing. I applied to Kingsdale as well however my daughter is 280-odd (band 2) and so I've accepted we have no chance.

As you're 6th now I'm really hoping we are same band as you lol!!

Fingers crossed for you for Kingsdale aswell, the wait is so stressful !

We’ve gone 21 to 9 ‘in her band’

@Kittensandthat thanks for your message I am feeling hopefully @indie123 280 hmmmm not putting much hope on Kingsdale then wow I wonder how many applications they normally get. @Helspopje that’s a good position not far off from where my DD is. So I guess once we know we are just waiting

I emailed the office on the 16th March but didn’t get a reply.. following the advice above I emailed again and they replied the next day saying we have moved from 11 to 2 so really pleased with that

I asked which ability band DD was in but they ignored that question.. I wonder why they don’t like to divulge this top secret information whilst St Marylebone is happy to share it?

We have moved from 20s to 80s. I'm very confused..asking them to double check but no reply yet

@Stokeyfolks That's great news! It is strange that they do not want to share the banding information. I actually emailed them about that again and have still been ignored so I have decided to let it go.

@indie123 Sorry to hear that, but it just does not make sense to me and I would definitely get the school to confirm this.