New arts buildings for historic school - Founded by philanthropic tradesmen, 300 year old Grey Coat Hospital gets BSF funding
Published: 11 March 2011
by JOSH LOEB
AS schools go, the confusingly named Grey Coat Hospital is about as historic as they come.
The Church of England comprehensive has a lively history stretching back more than 300 years – but a thoroughly modern arts block is its latest pride and joy.
Earlier this year, staff and pupils waved goodbye to cramped facilities and moved into a brand new extension complete with purpose-built music studios and performance spaces.
It was part of a £10.2million overhaul funded by the government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme – but is only the first of a series of improvements to the school.
Work on a new outdoor sports area is under way, and Grey Coat has launched a £25,000 appeal to build a stained-glass window in its chapel.
Headteacher Rachel Allard said the school had been lucky as others have had their BSF funding axed due to Coalition spending cuts.
“We are really grateful to Westminster City Council for being so engaged about this and making sure all the BSF documents were in on time,” she said. “It was quite a challenge to create a new block that would fit in with the older, listed parts of the building, but to create something which was modern rather than an ancient facsimile.”
Founded by philanthropic tradesmen in 1697, the Grey Coat Hospital plucked reprobate urchins from the streets of Victoria – then a hive of criminality.
At that time schools were identifiable by the colour of the pupils’ uniforms and “hospital” was a catch-all term for institutions which helped the poor.
“Poor people lived in this area because in those days there was right of sanctuary in Westminster Abbey,” said Mrs Allard. “If the police came round, criminals could hot-foot it round there and hide from them.”
The school now has 1,000 pupils – half at the site in Grey Coat Place and half at St Michael’s, Sloane Square.
Famous alumni include David Thompson, an 18th-century explorer who mapped the entire territory of Canada. At the dawn of the 20th-century Grey Coat was at the forefront of encouraging female pupils to become doctors.