What Sort of School is Michael Gove's Daughter Going To?

What sort of school is Grey Coat Hospital, where Michael Gove’s daughter Beatrice is said to have obtained a place?  He has received generally supportive coverage of his decision to send her to a state secondary school (as I noted here http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2008/02/cameron-puts-pr.html six years ago, he and his friend David Cameron obtained places for their children at a highly sought-after and utterly untypical state primary in Kensington. My hopes that the school would instead allocate its places to children of families who couldn't afford fees were dashed).

 

Grey Coat Hospital is very unusual in that actually calls itself a ‘comprehensive’ in its own official title. Most schools are now 'Specialist Aacdemies of Interplanetary Rocketry and Hairdressing' or some such combination, and the word 'comprehensive', seldom used in school titles in any case, has gone out of fashion a bit. One has to wonder why this particular school (which unlike almost all modern comprehensives is single sex, and which is also quite rare in being a C of E secondary) feels the need to emphasise this part of its status.

 

When I bicycled past it this morning, I noticed how very smart and fresh the painted notice was, which proclaimed: ‘The Grey Coat Hospital : Church of England Comprehensive School for Girls’.

 

Its admissions policy, as in so many of the better state schools, requires a combination of Albert Einstein and St Thomas Aquinas to decode it.

 

Here it is:

'This section should be read by everyone thinking of applying for a place at The Grey Coat Hospital

 

THE GREY COAT HOSPITAL - ADMISSIONS POLICY FOR 2014/2015

 

1.1 The Grey Coat Hospital is a voluntary aided Church of England Comprehensive

Academy for girls, which has a special relationship with Westminster Abbey.

 

1.2 In September 2014, the Governors intend to admit one hundred and fifty one girls within the full age range of ability and from a wide range of backgrounds, into Year Seven.

 

1.3 Girls admitted to the Hospital, and their parents and guardians, are required to abide by school regulations and to co-operate with the staff on matters of attendance, discipline, homework and dress.

 

1.4 Parents are expected to attend the annual Abbey Service with the school and to encourage their daughters to contribute to, and benefit from, the school’s Christian and Church of England tradition.

 

1.5 Applicants are strongly urged to visit the school on one of the Open Days so that they may learn as much as possible about the school and its ethos.

 

1.6 The school is participating within co-ordinated admission arrangements with other maintained secondary schools in Westminster.

 

1.7 Governors may offer a place to a girl who has an exceptional medical, social or educational need for a place at The Grey Coat Hospital. Applications will only be considered under this category if they are supported by a written statement from a medical consultant, senior social worker or other appropriate professional. In each case, there must be a clear connection between the girl’s need and The Grey Coat Hospital and an explanation of the difficulties that would be caused if the child were to attend another school.

 

1.8 In the event of oversubscription, places will be allocated in accordance with sections 2 – 4 below. ‘

 

Then we move on to this : ‘SECTION TWO - LANGUAGE COLLEGE PLACE

 

 

If you are applying for a Language College place, please read the following section.

 

 

Admissions Criteria – Language College place

 

Up to fifteen places will be offered to girls solely on the strength of their aptitude for languages as shown by a test given for this purpose on the Languages Assessment Day. The Languages Assessment Day is towards the end of the summer term of Year 5. It is in advance of the completion of the common application form and is on a different day to the banding assessment day. The Languages Assessment is for applicants who are applying for a Languages place. No previous knowledge of a foreign language is expected or required. No other criteria for admission apply to these fifteen places.’

 

(My own note ***I am absolutely riveted by the statement that ‘No previous knowledge of a foreign language is expected or required.’ I shall see if I can obtain a sample of this test, which measures aptitude for languages without, unless I have misunderstood matters entirely, actually requiring any knowledge or experience of any foreign tongue. I am trying to think of any other subject for which aptitude could be tested in this way. But anyway, we here move on to):

 

SECTION THREE

 

 CHURCH OF ENGLAND PLACES

 OTHER CHURCH PLACES (CHURCHES TOGETHER IN BRITAIN AND

IRELAND/EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE)

 

 

If you are applying for a Church of England place, or an Other Churches place (Churches Together in Britain and Ireland/Evangelical Alliance), please read this section.

 

Admission criteria – Church of England, Other Churches (Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or Evangelical Alliance)

 

3.1 To fill places other than Language places and to ensure a balanced intake, the Governors will refer to the results of literacy and non-verbal reasoning tests given on Assessment Day. Consequently, applicants must sit the assessment test on Assessment Day. Applicants will have been placed into three ability bands and the Governors will allocate 25% of these places to girls of above average ability (the top band), 50% to girls of average ability (the middle band) and 25% to girls of below average ability (the lower band).

 

3.2 Once applicants have been placed in a band, governors will allocate church places as follows:

 

 

Church of England places

 

Up to 80 places will be given to girls from practising Church of England families living in the area covered by the dioceses of London and Southwark. Applications must be supported by a clergy reference. First priority will be given to Looked after Children+ and previously Looked after Children+. After this, priority will be given to sisters* of current Grey Coat pupils who are of statutory school age at the time the application is made and who will be on roll in years 7 to 11 at the school at the time of admission. Other applicants in this category will be ranked according to the church commitment of each family.

 

 

Other Churches (Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or EvangelicalAlliance) Places.

 

Up to 28 places will be given to girls from families active in other churches which are full members of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or the Evangelical Alliance and who live in the area of the dioceses of London and Southwark. Applications must be supported by a clergy reference. First priority will be given to Looked after Children+ and previously Looked after Children+. After this, priority will be given tosisters* of current Grey Coat pupils who are of statutory school age at the time the application is made and who will be on roll in years 7 to 11 at the school at the time of admission. Other applicants in this category will be ranked according to the church commitment of each family.

   

In establishing family church commitment, only family members living together at one address and who have legal responsibility for the child will be taken into account. Assessing the commitment of the child and her family will be carried out as follows:

 

Weekly church attendance of five years and:

 

Applicants ranked by points awarded to a maximum of 10 (5 for parent and 5 for child). Only one point may be scored under each heading.

 

 Parent holding elected office in the church

 Parent being a communicant member

 Parent on the church’s electoral or other membership roll

 Regular practical involvement by a parent in the church

 Parent having a role in public worship/ministry

 Regular involvement in other aspect of church life

 

 Child being a regular communicant

 Baptism of child

 Confirmation of child

 Attendance by child at Sunday School

 Child having a role in public worship

 Attendance by child in a church organisation

 Involvement in other aspect of church life by child

 

If there are insufficient candidates to fill the places available in a category after the five year rule has been applied, applicants will be considered from those who have under five years’, but at least one year’s, weekly church attendance who will then be ranked by points awarded to a maximum of 10 (5 for the parent and 5 for the child), according to the criteria listed above.

 

If it is necessary to decide between applicants who have equal claims to a place under one of the above criteria in any band, the governors will apply the following tie breaker:

 

 

Where the order of priority is otherwise equal, preference will be given to a child who lives the shortest distance from the school. Home address is defined as the address at which the child resides for 50% or more of the school week. Distances are measured by a straight line from the address seed point (determined by Ordnance Survey data) of the child’s home address to the main school gate for pupils, as measured by the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system. Where it is necessary to differentiate between applicants living in flats using the same street entrance, priority will be given to the applicant(s) living closest to the ground floor and then by ascending flat number order. Where it is necessary to further differentiate between applicants living the same distance from the school,  priority will be decided by random allocation. ‘

 

 

And finally:

 

SECTION FOUR

 

OPEN PLACES

 

4.1 To fill places other than Language places and to ensure a balanced intake, the governors will refer to the results of literacy and non-verbal reasoning tests given on Assessment Day. Consequently, applicants must sit the assessment test on Assessment Day. Applicants will have been placed into three ability bands and the governors will allocate 25% of these places to girls of above average ability (the top band), 50% to girls of average ability (the middle band) 25% to girls of below average ability (the lower band).

 

4.2 Once applicants have been placed in a band, governors will allocate open places as follows:

 

Up to 28 places will be open places (where no religious criteria apply). Applications

will be ranked in this order of preference

 

First priority will be given to Looked after Children+ and previously Looked after Children+. After this, priority will be given to sisters* of current Grey Coat pupils who are of statutory school age at the time the application is made and who will be on roll in years 7 to 11 at the school at the time of admission. Priority will then be given to, firstly,

 

(i) applicants living within the geographical area which makes up the parishes of St Margaret’s, Westminster, St Matthew’s, Westminster and St Stephen with St John,Westminster who also attend either Millbank Academy, Westminster, or St Matthew’s Primary School, Westminster or Burdett Coutts Primary School, Westminster, and then, secondly, to

 

(ii) applicants living within the geographical area which makes up the parishes of St Margaret’s, Westminster, St Matthew’s, Westminster and St Stephen with St John, Westminster.

 

 

If it is necessary to decide between applicants who have equal claims to a place under one of the above criteria in any band, the Governors will apply the following tie breaker:

 

Where the order of priority is otherwise equal, preference will be given to a child who lives the shortest distance from the school. Home address is defined as the address at which the child resides for 50% or more of the school week. Distances are measured by a straight line from the address seed point (determined by Ordnance Survey data) of the child’s home address to the main school gate for pupils, as measured by the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system. Where it is necessary to differentiate between applicants living in flats using the same street entrance, priority will be given to the applicant(s) living closest to theground floor and then by ascending flat number order. Where it is necessary to further differentiate between applicants living the same distance from the school,priority will be decided by random allocation.   

SECTION FIVE – ADMISSION PROCEDURES

 

Admissions procedures

 

This applies to anyone wishing to apply for a place at The Grey Coat Hospital regardless of the category

 

5.1 Applicants must complete the school’s supplementary information form which should be sent back to the school with a passport sized photograph attached (this is for assessment test use only). Applicants should state under which categories they are applying

 

 Languages places

 Church of England places

 Other Church places (Churches together in Britain and Ireland/Evangelical

Alliance places

 Open places

 

 

Those unsuccessful in one category may be considered for another appropriate category. For example, those applying for a language place will be considered under the Church of England category if they meet the criteria as outlined above.

Those who do not submit the supplementary information form cannot be considered for a Church place.

 

5.2 Those applying for a Church of England place and those applying for an Other Church (Churches Together in Britain and Ireland/Evangelical Alliance) place should enclose, with their completed supplementary information form, a completed clergy reference form. If references are required from more than one member of the clergy, please ask for additional forms.

 

5.3 If, as is customary, there are more applications than places, the admissions criteria explained in sections 2 - 4 above will determine which girls are to be offered places. The same procedures will be applied when there are applicants for casual vacancies that arise in Years Eight to Eleven.

5.4 Applicants must attend the Assessment Test at our St Michael’s building.

Assessment Test date to be confirmed. Those who do not sit the test will need to provide evidence from their Primary School of their ability level. Those who do not return a supplementary information form will seriously weaken the chance of gaining a place.

 

5.5 Applicants who are applying for a languages place must attend the language assessment test at our St Michael’s building. Language Assessment Test date is on June 25th 2013. Those who do not sit the test will not be considered for a languages place. The outcome of the languages test will be communicated by letter early in October 2013.

 

Please note: this policy does not apply to pupils who have a (statutory) statement ofspecial educational needs.

 ..........................................

+ Looked after and previously Looked after Children means a child who is looked after, or has been looked after by a local authority in accordance with section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989 at the time an application for her admission to a school is made and who the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the time when she is admitted to the school.

 

*Sisters mean children who reside together at the same address and who have at least one parent in common by birth or legal adoption.

 

.............................

 

I have reproduced all this information,  which is presumably for public consumption as it is posted in full of the school’s official website.

 

I make no comment on it at this stage, except to say that some parents who have themselves not received this sort of schooling might find it daunting or demanding, and it might perhaps require some persistence and background knowledge to understand it properly and to complete it. Others might easily grasp its nature and its requirements. I'm, also struck by the fact that a child's entire future life could be decided by which floor of a block of flats she lives on. And they call the eleven-plus arbitrary.

 

One or two other points. The school’s own version of its history, again to be found on its website, goes into some detail about its foundation, and its buildings, and about a pupil’s rebellion in 1801. But the actual text is mysterious about whether the school was in fact ever openly selective by ability, or when, if so, this ceased to be the case.  It is curious how reluctant existing schools often are to discuss such things, and how in fact the whole 1944-65 selective era, whose revolutionary effects I increasingly regard as one of the most important social developments of our time, and which indirectly had an immense effect on my own life,  is almost totally forgotten.

 

And yet, perhaps by accident,  perhaps intentionally, the truth slips out at the bottom of the ‘History’ page. This reproduces two charming sketches of the old school buildings, one  from 1975 and one , by Geoffrey Fletcher, from the Times Education Supplement of May 1955 (another world). In the tiny text beneath this, the words ‘grammar school’ can just be made out. 

I shall be returning to this interesting matter later.