School profile Verified 11 September 2026

Pate's Grammar School

Princess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, GL51 0HG

A selective co-educational grammar school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,288 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Co-ed Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment

UK rank: UK Rank #11
Year 7 places: 150
Competition ?: High
Ofsted ?: Outstanding
11+ route: GL Assessment

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At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank: UK Rank #11
Sector: Grammar school
Admissions: Mixed
Assessment: GL Assessment
Places in Year 7: 150
Competition ?: High
Catchment: You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Ofsted ?: Outstanding

Overview

Pate's Grammar School is a co-educational state grammar school in west Cheltenham, with about 1,288 pupils and a large sixth form. Its history is unusually vivid: Richard Pate founded the original grammar school in 1574, the boys' and girls' schools merged in 1986, and the present school still uses that long civic inheritance as part of its identity.

The modern campus on Princess Elizabeth Way combines a strong academic reputation with extensive sports fields, a senior library, sixth-form centre and newer teaching spaces. The school's own shorthand - We Belong, We Thrive, We Excel - is backed by a co-curricular culture that runs through music, drama, Combined Cadet Force, sport, house life, volunteering and student leadership.

Pate's is also one of the highest-performing selective schools in the public benchmarks: Outstanding Ofsted in 2024, +1.01 Progress 8, 99.3% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 71.3% AAB or better at A level. The sixth form entry requirements are correspondingly demanding, with minimum GCSE points and subject-grade thresholds published for applicants.

Year 7 entry has 150 places. The entrance test uses two GL multiple-choice papers, with verbal skills in one paper and non-verbal reasoning plus mathematical knowledge in the other. There is no fixed pass mark; the standard qualifying group is based on rank, and the policy gives a separate disadvantaged-priority route for candidates within the published threshold of the 150th ranked score.

Key points

Assessment route: GL Assessment across a 2-stage process, covering English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning.
Places and demand: 150 places in Year 7 and High
Catchment: You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Results: 99.3% grade 5+ in English and maths and 82.7 Attainment 8
Sixth form: Sixth form available with 71.3% AAB or better and 66% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Gloucestershire and England.

School Local authority England

Attainment 8: 82.7
Grade 5+ English and maths: 99.3%
EBacc APS: 7.79
EBacc entry: 69.5%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Gloucestershire and England.

School Local authority England

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Gloucestershire and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown

School details

Sector: Grammar school
School type: Academy converter
Application: Local authority CAF
Gender: Mixed
Age range: 11-18
Headteacher: Dr James Richardson
Pupil roll: 1,288 pupils
Sixth form: Yes
Trust: Pate's Grammar School
FSM ?: 3.6%
EAL ?: 25.3%
EHCP ?: 0.2%

Extracurriculars

Drama Combined Cadet Force

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 1,288 pupils; 1,280 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 46% Asian 38.5% Mixed 11.2% Black 2.5% Other 1.2% Unclassified 0.6%

Recorded group	Share	Category	Pupils
White British	39.1%	White	503
Indian	29.1%	Asian	375
Any other mixed background	8.5%	Mixed	110
Any other White background	6.7%	White	86
Chinese	3.7%	Asian	48
Any other Asian background	2.9%	Asian	37
African	2.4%	Black	31
White and Asian	2.2%	Mixed	28
Pakistani	1.7%	Asian	22
Any other ethnic group	1.2%	Other	16
Bangladeshi	1.1%	Asian	14
Unclassified	0.6%	Unclassified	8
White and Black African	0.4%	Mixed	5
Irish	0.2%	White	3
Any other Black background	0.1%	Black	1
White and Black Caribbean	0.1%	Mixed	1

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Location and contact

Address

Address: Princess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Postcode: GL51 0HG
Area: Gloucestershire
Exam area: Gloucestershire 11+

School leadership

Headteacher: Dr James Richardson

School contact

School email: admissions@patesgs.org
School phone: 01242523169

Admissions contact

Admissions team: Admissions Manager
Admissions contact: Mrs Sarah Graves
Admissions email: admissions@patesgs.org
Admissions phone: 01242 506103

Open in Map Open school website

Admissions

Year 7 places: 150 places (2025 entry)
Applications listed: 319 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences: 216 first preferences (2025 entry)
Competition ?: High
Who can apply: You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Pass mark note: There is no pre-defined pass mark. The standard qualifying group is the highest-ranking 250 candidates, and the disadvantaged priority threshold is within 15% or better of the 150th ranked standardised score.

Allocation is hybrid: up to 15 disadvantaged priority places use listed local postcodes, local non-priority places use Gloucestershire or listed postcodes, and at least 45 places remain available UK-wide by score.

Oversubscription and eligibility

1

EHCP naming the school

Candidates with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are admitted before the oversubscription criteria are applied.
2

Looked-after and previously looked-after children

Eligible looked-after, previously looked-after and internationally adopted previously looked-after children receive priority.
3

Up to 15 priority places

Priority places are available for eligible disadvantaged candidates living in the listed local postcodes who reach the policy's priority threshold.
4

Local non-priority places up to 105 total

Non-priority candidates living in Gloucestershire or the listed local postcodes are ranked by standardised score until the local-place total is reached.
5

At least 45 UK-wide places

At least 45 places are reserved for non-priority candidates from outside the local area, ranked by standardised score.
6

Tie-breaks

Distance is used as a tie-break, followed by random allocation if candidates remain tied.

Admissions policy

PGS Admissions Policy 2027 Entry

2027 entry

Information booklet

Frequently Asked Questions 2027 Entry

2027 entry

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

The entrance test consists of two GL multiple-choice papers. Paper 1 focuses on verbal skills and Paper 2 combines non-verbal reasoning with mathematical knowledge.

Assessment route: GL Assessment
Papers and stages: 2 papers
Format: Multiple-choice papers
Age standardisation: Published as age-standardised

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Gloucestershire test guide

Familiarisation Frequently Asked Questions 2027 Entry General Familiarisation GL Assessment English familiarisation pack English General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Maths familiarisation pack Maths General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths familiarisation pack Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning familiarisation pack Non-Verbal Reasoning General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning familiarisation pack Verbal Reasoning General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ.

View all 8 resources

Familiarisation GL Assessment Verbal Skills familiarisation pack Verbal Skills General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Guidance GL Assessment official guidance and downloads General provider familiarisation. Use only the subjects in this school’s test; question counts and timings may differ.

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Papers and rounds

Paper 1

English, Verbal reasoning

Paper 1

GL multiple-choice paper covering verbal skills, including comprehension, vocabulary and verbal reasoning.
Paper 2

Maths, Non-verbal reasoning

Paper 2

GL multiple-choice paper covering mathematical knowledge and non-verbal reasoning.

What the test includes

English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.

Science is not listed in the current published format.

Included

English
Maths
Verbal reasoning

GL multiple-choice paper covering verbal skills, including comprehension, vocabulary and verbal reasoning.
Non-verbal reasoning

GL multiple-choice paper covering mathematical knowledge and non-verbal reasoning.

Not listed

Science

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders

Find open days and plan a visit

Registration opens

18 May 2026
Past
Registration closes

26 June 2026
Past

Deadline is 12 noon.
Test-centre arrangements

7 September 2026
Past
Entrance test

12 September 2026
Past
Entrance-test results

Mid-October 2026
Common Application Form deadline

31 October 2026
National Allocation Day

1 March 2027
Year 7 open evening

29 September 2026

Book through the school website.

How to apply

1
Register for the entrance test

Complete online registration between 18 May 2026 and 12 noon on 26 June 2026.
Key dates
2
Confirm test-centre arrangements

Test-centre arrangements are due to be issued on 7 September 2026.
Key dates
3
Sit the entrance test

The entrance test is scheduled for 12 September 2026.
FAQ
4
Check results before naming schools

Results are expected in mid-October 2026 before the CAF deadline.
Key dates
5
Submit the Common Application Form

Name the school on the local-authority CAF by 31 October 2026.
Admissions

Official admissions documents

Admissions policy

PGS Admissions Policy 2027 Entry

2027 entry

Information booklet

Frequently Asked Questions 2027 Entry

2027 entry

Key dates

Key Dates 2027 Entry

2027 entry

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8 ?: +1.01 Progress 8
Attainment 8 ?: 82.7 Attainment 8
GCSE results: 100% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths ?: 99.3% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score ?: 7.79 EBacc APS
A-level results: 71.3% AAB or better
A-level average points: 50.77 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression: 66% in higher education
Apprenticeships: 4% in apprenticeships
Employment: 20% in sustained employment

Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.

Subject performance

Maths: 99.3% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English: 100% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences: 98.7% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages: 100% grade 5+ in EBacc languages

Performance trends

Recent trend

Overall GCSE performance

This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.

Pate's Grammar School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	84	74.2	49.4
2022/23	82.5	71.8	47.0
2023/24	83.7	72.1	46.7
2024/25	82.7	72.3	46.8

Recent trend

Average A-level result

This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.

Pate's Grammar School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	A+ average (52.1 points)	44.0 points	37.5 points
2022/23	A average (48.7 points)	40.5 points	33.7 points
2023/24	A average (49.6 points)	41.3 points	34.5 points
2024/25	A average (50.8 points)	41.8 points	35.0 points

Recent trend

Where pupils go after Year 11

This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.

Pate's Grammar School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	100%	99.1%	94.1%
2022/23	99%	98.9%	93.9%
2023/24	100%	99.0%	93.3%
2024/25	99%	98.7%	91.8%

Latest year breakdown

In education	99%
In apprenticeships	0%
In employment	0%

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Inspection

View report

Outstanding

Latest inspection: 6 March 2024

Quality of education: Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding
Personal development: Outstanding
Leadership and management: Outstanding
Sixth form provision: Outstanding

Quick summary

Overall effectiveness: Pate's was judged Outstanding in every area. Inspectors describe a school balancing very high expectations with strong support, where pupils work hard, develop independence and leave as ambitious, compassionate and well-rounded young people.
Quality of education: Pupils receive an exceptionally strong education across a broad curriculum, often including two or more modern languages. Subject leaders sequence knowledge carefully, and teachers use the Pate's Learning Framework, modelling and assessment to tailor learning to pupils' needs.
Behaviour and attitudes: Pupils' attitudes are consistently positive, attendance and punctuality are high and derogatory language is very rare. Inspectors found an inclusive culture where pupils behave well because they understand why respect matters.
Personal development: The house system and enrichment programme are central to school life. Pupils take part in frequent trips, maths society, climbing, British Sign Language, Combined Cadet Force, 3D printing and many pupil-led clubs, with disadvantaged pupils included fully.
Leadership and management: Leaders and governors are highly ambitious for the school and invest heavily in professional development. Staff feel valued and committed, while leaders use detailed knowledge of pupils to support both academic success and wider development.
Sixth form provision: Sixth-form students achieve exceptional academic results and speak with confidence using precise terminology. They are supported towards university and alternative routes such as degree apprenticeships, and the curriculum considers students joining from other schools.

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Related pages and guides

Area and ranking pages

Best Grammar Schools in Gloucestershire

Compare 7 Gloucestershire grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Gloucestershire route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.

Best Grammar Schools in the UK

Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.

Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results

Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.

Best Grammar Schools Rated Outstanding by Ofsted

Explore grammar schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted in the UK and narrow them by GCSE strength, county, and school type before comparing schools by route and journey.

Guides and related reading

Guide

Can You Get Into Grammar School Without Catchment?

A cautious guide to grammar school catchment, out-of-area applications, score-based places, distance rules and why each admissions policy must be read separately.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does Pate's Grammar School use?

Pate's Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to Pate's Grammar School?

1. Register for the entrance test: Complete online registration between 18 May 2026 and 12 noon on 26 June 2026. 2. Confirm test-centre arrangements: Test-centre arrangements are due to be issued on 7 September 2026. 3. Sit the entrance test: The entrance test is scheduled for 12 September 2026. 4. Check results before naming schools: Results are expected in mid-October 2026 before the CAF deadline. 5. Submit the Common Application Form: Name the school on the local-authority CAF by 31 October 2026.

When are the key dates for Pate's Grammar School?

Registration opens: 18 May 2026. Registration closes: 26 June 2026. Test-centre arrangements: 7 September 2026. Entrance test: 12 September 2026. Entrance-test results: Mid-October 2026. Common Application Form deadline: 31 October 2026. National Allocation Day: 1 March 2027. Year 7 open evening: 29 September 2026

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Pate's Grammar School?

Pate's Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 6 March 2024.