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Grammar school · Cheltenham

Pate's Grammar School

Ages 11 to 18 · 1,288 pupils (704 boys, 584 girls) · sixth form

Getting a Year 7 place in 2026

11+ test

Pate's Grammar School is a grammar school, so Year 7 places go by the 11+ test and the school's other rules, not by distance. The council's figures for last year say to ask the school how its last places were given.

146places

213families put it first

69%of those got in

Check how far you live
More about how places were given

146 Year 7 places for September 2026. 213 families put it first, about 1.5 for each place.

Places go by rank in the 11+ test and the school's other criteria.

Looked-after children, EHC plans, siblings, catchment areas and faith can come before distance, and distances change every year. Read the admissions policy before you apply.

September 2026 Year 7 entry, Gloucestershire County Council. What this means

Secondary offer day (allocation day): 1 March 2027. Key dates

In short.

Typical is the middle school when all 7 Gloucestershire grammar schools are lined up, half above and half below. Tap a box for the detail. GCSE grades run from 9 (highest) to 1; a 4 is a standard pass, roughly the old C.

How places are given.

This is a grammar school. Children must sit the Gloucestershire grammar schools' 11+ test, which all seven grammar schools share. For September 2027 entry the test was on Saturday 12 September 2026.

Only children who reach the school's qualifying standard can be offered a place. It isn't a fixed pass mark: it depends on how a child's score ranks against everyone who sat the test. Most of the grammar schools set a lower standard for children in care and children eligible for pupil premium. Places then go in the order set out in the school's rules.

Read the school's admission rules for September 2027 (PDF)

Free school transport. If this is your nearest suitable school and the walking route is more than 2 miles (children under 8) or 3 miles (8 and over), the council usually provides free transport. Families on lower incomes can get help over shorter distances. School transport

GCSE results.

Average GCSE grade, each year

20248.4
20258.3
20268.2

Each year is a different group of pupils.

Results subject by subject

Average grade (9 is highest) and how many entries got a standard pass (grade 4+) or a top grade (7+), for subjects with 10 or more entries. "County" is the average for all Gloucestershire grammar schools.

SubjectEntriesAverage gradeGrade 4+Grade 7+
Biology1498.2county 7.699%88%
Chemistry1498.2county 7.699%89%
English Language1497.6county 7.0100%83%
English Literature1497.7county 6.899%81%
Mathematics1498.4county 7.5100%94%
Physics1498.4county 7.6100%93%
Business Studies1007.7county 7.3100%81%
History808.3county 7.2100%95%
Geography768.4county 7.5100%96%
German517.5county 7.2100%69%
French468.7county 7.4100%98%
Computer Science457.9county 7.198%80%
Religious Studies408.0county 7.7100%85%
Spanish408.1county 7.4100%88%
Physical Education308.0county 7.3100%90%
Art and Design297.9county 7.4100%86%
Drama237.7county 6.9100%87%
Music228.0county 7.1100%91%
Other Modern Languages128.5county 8.5100%100%

GCSE results 2025/26 (provisional), subject results. Small subjects can swing a lot from year to year.

Where it ranks in Gloucestershire
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8: divide by 10 for the average grade per subject · 1st of 7 · Typical 74.782.4
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsA standard pass, roughly the old C · joint 4th of 7 · Typical 99%99%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsA strong pass · 2nd of 7 · Typical 97%99%
Grade 4 or above in science5th of 7 · Typical 99%99%
Teachers still there a year later4th of 7 · Typical 88%88%

Positions are among Gloucestershire grammar schools with a published figure. 1st means the highest results. Typical is the school in the middle when they are lined up from highest to lowest. Jargon buster.

GCSE results 2025/26 (provisional).

Sixth form and next steps.

After Year 11

Where pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24 went.

Stayed in education, training or work

99%

Glos 92% · England 91%

Went to a school sixth form

97%

here or at another school

Went to a college

1%

sixth form or further education college

Started an apprenticeship

0%

See three years and more detail
Leaving year2021/22144 pupils2022/23154 pupils2023/24149 pupilsGlos 2023/24
Stayed in education, training or work100%99%99%92%
School sixth form94%96%97%46%
Sixth form college2%1%1%10%
Further education college1%1%1%29%
Apprenticeship0%0%0%4%
Work0%0%0%3%
Did not stay in any of these0%0%0%5%
Not known0%1%1%3%

Percentages of pupils who left that year. “Glos” is all Gloucestershire state schools and colleges. Rows can add up to more or less than 100% because of rounding and pupils doing more than one thing.

A level results 2025

Average grade per A level

A

Glos B- · England C+

Average of best three A levels

A

Got AAB or better

71%

in three A levels

Progress

Above average

compared with similar students nationally

259 students took A levels. “Progress” compares grades with students across England who got similar GCSEs.

A level results subject by subject

2025: how many entries got the top grades, and whether students did better or worse than expected from their GCSEs.

SubjectA* to BProgressA* or AEntries
Mathematics93%England 63%Average81%183
Chemistry91%England 57%Average75%126
Biology89%England 52%Average73%97
Physics88%England 54%Average77%95
Mathematics (Further)93%England 80%Average77%61
Economics98%England 62%Average89%45
Psychology95%England 48%Average59%39
English Literature100%England 56%Average83%35
History97%England 59%Average72%32
Computer Science100%England 49%Average86%28
Government and Politics100%England 59%Average84%19
Geography94%England 55%Average82%17
Logic / Philosophy85%England 52%Average62%13
Art and Design100%England 67%Average100%10
Spanish100%England 67%Above100%10
Music100%England 58%Average78%9
Drama and Theatre Studies100%England 63%Average25%8
French100%England 68%Average100%8

Subjects with 5 or more entries. Progress “Above” or “Below” means the difference from expected grades is big enough not to be chance; otherwise it shows “Average”. Small subjects can swing a lot from year to year.

Other courses taken in 2025: Extended Project (56 entries).

After sixth form

Where students who finished here went.

Started a degree within two years

87%

Glos 56% · England 58%

Went to a ‘top third’ university

73%

Glos 20% · England 16%

Went straight into work

14%

Glos 35% · England 27%

Started an apprenticeship

3%

Glos 8% · England 7%

Started a degree within two years: girls 84%, boys 91%.

See three years and more detail
Leaving year2021/22229 pupils2022/23241 pupils2023/24244 pupilsGlos 2023/24
Stayed in education, training or work90%92%90%83%
University or other higher education66%66%72%38%
Further education2%1%0%3%
Apprenticeship2%4%3%7%
Work20%20%14%34%
Did not stay in any of these7%5%7%12%
Not known3%4%4%6%

Percentages of pupils who left that year. “Glos” is all Gloucestershire state schools and colleges. Rows can add up to more or less than 100% because of rounding and pupils doing more than one thing.

‘Top third’ universities are those with the highest entry grades. Degree figures count the two years after sixth form, so include gap years (students who finished in 2022/23); the yearly table counts only the first year, so its university figure is lower. Progression to higher education and destination measures, Department for Education, published October 2026.

Ofsted.

Ofsted

Outstanding

Full inspection, 2024

In Ofsted's words, from its school inspection report, March 2024:
“Leaders, including governors, have created a strong ethos at the school. There is a balance of high expectations and extensive support. As a selective school, pupils join with high prior attainment. However, staff and pupils are not complacent. Pupils work incredibly hard. They thrive academically and personally. […]”

Read the full report (PDF) · Ofsted, Open Government Licence.

Inspection history (3 reports)
  • 05 March 2024School inspection: Outstanding · report
  • 25 April 2013Full inspection: Outstanding · report
  • 10 October 2011Curriculum and development visit · report

Grades from different years were given under different rules, so they are not directly comparable. Reports from before a school became an academy are listed under its old school on the Ofsted website.

Read the reports on the Ofsted website

What parents told Ofsted.

Not enough parents filled in Ofsted's Parent View survey for this school to publish results. Ofsted only publishes a school's results once 10 or more parents have answered (November 2025 to September 2026).

See this school on Ofsted Parent View, or add your own views if your child goes there.

Day to day.

Pupils

How full the school is1,290 pupils for 1,200 places, May 2025108%
Can get free school mealsA sign of how many families have lower incomesAbout typical (5.0%)5.0%
Get extra help with special needsSEN support, without a formal planAbout typical (7.8%)7.8%
Have an EHC planA legal plan for special needs▼ Lower than typical (0.5%)0.3%
Speak another language at home▲ Higher than typical (17%)29%

Attendance and behaviour

Lessons missedFor any reason▼ Lower than typical (4.2%)2.8%
Missing 1 day in 10 or moreCalled “persistently absent”▼ Lower than typical (8%)3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils▲ Higher than typical (1.5)2.7

Teachers and money

Pupils per teacherNot the same as class sizeAbout typical (18.5)18.8
Teachers still there a year laterAbout typical (88%)88%
Spending per pupilSmall schools usually cost more per child▲ Higher than typical (£6,786)£8,421

Behaviour policies differ between schools, so compare suspensions with care. Pupils and staff: school census and workforce census, Department for Education.

Questions parents ask.

How close do you need to live to get a place at Pate's Grammar School?

Pate's Grammar School is a grammar school, so Year 7 places go by the 11+ test and the school's other rules, not by distance. The council's figures for last year say to ask the school how its last places were given. Distances change every year, and children in priority groups (such as looked-after children, children with an EHC plan naming the school and brothers or sisters of current pupils) can get places before distance is used.

How many families applied to Pate's Grammar School?

For September 2026 Year 7 entry, 213 families put Pate's Grammar School as their first choice, and 146 places were offered. (Department for Education, secondary applications and offers 2026)

What are Pate's Grammar School's GCSE results?

In 2026, pupils at Pate's Grammar School got an average Attainment 8 score of 82.4, and 99% got grade 4 or above in both English and maths. (Department for Education, provisional GCSE results 2025/26)

What did Ofsted say about Pate's Grammar School?

Rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its last full inspection (5 March 2024).

How do I apply for a place at Pate's Grammar School?

You apply to your home council, not to the school. If you live in Gloucestershire, that is Gloucestershire County Council. For September 2027 entry, on-time applications closed at midnight, 31 October 2026, and offers are sent on 1 March 2027. Late applications are dealt with after on-time ones.

Contact and nearby.

Cheltenham, GL51 0HG

Headteacher: Dr James Richardson

Run by an academy trust: Pate's Grammar School

01242 523169 · School website

Official school record · Gloucestershire school admissions

Nearby secondary schools

All secondary schools in Cheltenham ›

Spotted something wrong on this page? Tell us

This is a guide, not an admissions decision. Figures come from the Department for Education, Ofsted and Gloucestershire County Council and were last updated 7 November 2026. Always check the school's admissions policy and the council's admissions pages before applying. How admissions work