Gloucestershire Gloucestershire 11+
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.
Pate's Grammar School
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At a glance
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.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Gloucestershire and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Gloucestershire and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Gloucestershire and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,288 pupils; 1,280 had a recorded ethnic group.
| 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 |
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.
EHCP naming the school
Candidates with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are admitted before the oversubscription criteria are applied.
Looked-after and previously looked-after children
Eligible looked-after, previously looked-after and internationally adopted previously looked-after children receive priority.
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.
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.
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.
Tie-breaks
Distance is used as a tie-break, followed by random allocation if candidates remain tied.
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.
Shared exam route
Pate's Grammar School uses the shared Gloucestershire route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Gloucestershire practice papersPaper 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.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
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.
Science
Registration opens
18 May 2026
PastRegistration closes
26 June 2026
Deadline is 12 noon.
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
Register for the entrance test
Complete online registration between 18 May 2026 and 12 noon on 26 June 2026.
Key datesConfirm test-centre arrangements
Test-centre arrangements are due to be issued on 7 September 2026.
Key datesSit the entrance test
The entrance test is scheduled for 12 September 2026.
FAQCheck results before naming schools
Results are expected in mid-October 2026 before the CAF deadline.
Key datesSubmit the Common Application Form
Name the school on the local-authority CAF by 31 October 2026.
AdmissionsLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| 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
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| 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
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| 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% |
Latest inspection: 6 March 2024
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Gloucestershire area and similar co-ed selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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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.
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Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Pate's Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
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.
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
Pate's Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 6 March 2024.