Pate's Grammar School

Pate's Grammar School
Motto	Latin: Patebit tum quod Latuit; English: That which is hidden shall be revealed
Established	1574
Type	Grammar school;; Academy
Headteacher	Russel Ellicott
Founder	Richard Pate
Location	Princess Elizabeth Way; Cheltenham; Gloucestershire; GL51 0HG; England; 51°54′25″N 2°07′01″W / 51.907°N 2.117°WCoordinates: 51°54′25″N 2°07′01″W / 51.907°N 2.117°W
DfE URN	136353 Tables
Ofsted	Reports Pre-academy reports
Staff	87 teaching, 35 support
Students	995
Gender	Coeducational
Ages	11–18
Houses	Beaufort; Gloucester; Richmond; York; Pembroke
Colours	Black, Grey, White, Red;
Publication	Pate's Progress; The Grammar School Gazette
Alumni	Old Patesians
Website	www.patesgs.org

Pate's Grammar School is a grammar school with academy status located in the Hesters Way area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. It caters for pupils aged 11 to 18 and is a Beacon school. The school was founded with a fund bestowed to Corpus Christi College, Oxford by Richard Pate in 1574. The school became co-educational in 1986, when Pate's Grammar School for Girls merged with Cheltenham Grammar School. In fact, the first female pupils came to the (Boys) Grammar School in 1971/72 to take their A-levels in the 6th form, and vice versa.

In November 2012 Pate's was awarded with State ‘Secondary School of the Year’ by The Sunday Times in their Good Schools Guide.^[1] Most recently, the school was given an Outstanding judgement by Ofsted.

Academic achievements

At GCSE level in 2004, 100% of pupils entered earned five A* to C grades,^[2] and the school came twelfth in the BBC table of performance in A-/AS-Level.^[3] Again in 2005, 100% of pupils earned five A* to C grades at GCSE,^[4] and in 2006, 100% of pupils passed in at least seven subjects with grades A* to C.^[5] In 2008, more A* grades were achieved collectively than any other grade put together at GCSE level.

The physics department was recognised as the best in the country in a survey published by The Observer in May 2006.^[6]

In 2012, The Sunday Times ranked Pate's as the fourth best state secondary school in the United Kingdom. It was also awarded with State ‘Secondary School of the Year’.^[7]

Sporting achievements

The senior rugby team was coached by ex-England scrum-half Peter Kingston until his retirement in 2009. In 2007 Pate's senior rugby teams completed a season unbeaten for the first time in 21 years.

Community

The school has a school council; the team of pupils and sixth formers from across the school is intended to help the students enjoy their time at Pate's more beneficially and give them a voice in school affairs.

The school competes in the Young Enterprise competition held amongst schools nationwide. In 2007, it reached the national finals for the Make Your Mark Enterprise Challenge held in London. The school was also named as one of the four winners of the annual BBC School's Question Time competition in 2009.^[8]

Pate's is also involved with charity work and has a Charity Committee appointed each year; in 2007–2008, over £16,000 was raised. The school is situated in a deprived area of Cheltenham and under the headmaster Richard Kemp deprived students were encouraged to apply.

The current headmaster is Russel Ellicott, who took over from Shaun Fenton in September 2012.

Developments

The school raised funds in order to complete new fitness facilities. The £50,000 fitness suite was officially opened by Geoff Hurst in April 2010.

In summer 2012, Pate's Grammar completed the construction of a new refectory, costing £1.75 million. This also involved upgrading the school canteen to a cashless catering system operated by sQuid. It was opened by HRH The Duke of Gloucester on 5 October 2012. Plans have been announced for a new 6th form block to be built and completed summer 2019.^[9]

In 2013, a new school block was opened named 'The George and Eve Tatam Block', after alumni who also sponsor higher level study at the Corpus Christi College of both Oxford and Cambridge.

In the spring/summer of 2019, a new Sixth form block is to open following a grant received in 2017.

Former Headmasters and Headmistresses