Its founding trustees were Robert Maddock, a cheesemonger, John Holmes, a "sope" and candles maker, Thomas Wisdome, a tradesman in leather goods and brooms, Samuel Mitchell, a bookseller, Richard Ffyler, a draper, Charles Webbe, John Wilkins and Simon Boult who "contributed towards the Charges of the School on their own, and subscriptions provided from other substantial persons".

They aimed to educate "40 of the Greatest Objects of Charity (orphans and neglected children) in the principles of the Christian religion, teaching reading and instructing them in the Church catechism, the discipline of the Church of England as by law established, and for teaching writing and cast accounts" and "binding them apprentices to honest trades and employments".

The first annual rent for the hospital and all the adjoining ground, all owned by Westminster Abbey, was £5 10s, and the school came into the residence where its principal building is today on 6 January 1701.

The first staff of the school consisted of the Headmaster Mr Ashenden and his wife, two spinsters, Mrs Gotobed and Goody Corbet, two nurses and Israel Thomas.

Thus, Queen Anne's Charter was read on the 26 May 1706, in the presence of a board consisting of three esquires (including two Justices of the Peace), five brewers and fifteen tradesmen, who elected as the school's first President, John Moore, Bishop of Norwich.

On the occasion of a Thanksgiving Service at St Paul's Cathedral after the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht, however, the Queen invited the school's children (including the two orphaned girls) to watch the procession on seats erected for them on Fleet Street over against Somerset House.

Selected Grey Coat Hospital boys attended a mathematical school in Covent Garden for three days a week.

In March 1873, a newly constituted body of Governors, chaired by the civil engineer Henry Arthur Hunt undertook to carry out the scheme of the Endowment Schools Commission.

The provisions of the Education Act 1944 meant the end of the Grey Coat Hospital's preparatory department after almost 250 years, and the school became entirely non-fee paying.

In 1998, the Grey Coat Hospital celebrated its tercentenary by opening a new building for the Upper School on Regency Street, replacing an older site on Sloane Square.

At the time, Michael Gove, who had been Secretary of State for Education from 2010 to 2014, and his wife, journalist Sarah Vine, had already had their daughter enrolled since the previous year.

Within a strategy promoting the public benefit, its declared mission is building upon a strong history and excellent record of educational achievement, to strengthen this provision in both the state and independent sector in a mutually supportive and collaborative environment for of the Foundation's pupils.

Its aim is to promote broadly based educational excellence and improvement, which is financially sustainable, in each of the Foundation's high performing schools, and to do so within the framework of a Christian ethos.

The school suspended 29 students in December 2008 for joining an open Facebook group described by the Head as "a hate campaign against a member of staff".

[11] In 2007, Ray Mears visited the school to unveil a new plaque for notable former pupil David Thompson, the explorer responsible for charting much of North America.

[12] David Thompson was admitted in 1777 and apprenticed to the Hudson's Bay Company for seven years in 1784, and had a river in the Rocky Mountains named after him in recognition of his contribution to the mapping of Western Canada.

One of David Thompson's contemporaries and pupils of the school was John Hatchard, founder in 1797 of the oldest bookshop in England, still operating in Piccadilly.

Another interesting association of the school was Ho Chi Minh, the founder of modern Vietnam, who was a labourer at the hospital in 1913, whilst a student in London.

Another notable Old Grey was the actress and artist's model Eleanor Thornton, who has been immortalised in the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy mascot since 1911. Notable former pupils of recent times include: Situated on Greycoat Place, the main building's brown brick three-storey centre block with stuccoed centrepiece dates to 1701, restored and extended in 1955 with wings by architect Laurence King after war damage.

Above are two niches containing painted wooden figures of charity children, a girl and a boy in school uniform, probably early 18th century, flanking the (new, post-1707 Acts of Union with Scotland) arms of Queen Anne, with her 1702 motto Semper eadem ("always the same"), moulded in Coade stone.