Pate's Grammar School

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Pate's Grammar School is a voluntary aided, selective grammar school in the Hesters Way area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom catering for pupils aged 11 to 18. It was granted Language College status in 2001, is a Beacon school, and in February 2006 was one of the first in the country to be awarded 'extra special status' – that is, both Language College and Science College status. 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 for Boys.

At GCSE level in 2004, 100% of pupils entered earned 5 A* to C grades 1 and the school came twelfth in the BBC table of performance in A-/AS-Level 2. Again in 2005 100% of pupils earned 5 A* to C grades at GCSE [1]

Famous former pupils of Cheltenham Grammar School for Boys include Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones and the composer Gustav Holst. The headmaster taking over at the start of the 2006/2007 year, Shaun Fenton, can also claim famous links, with his father being the singer and actor, Alvin Stardust. His brother is the renowned artist Adam F.

The Physics Department at Pate's was also recognised as the best Physics department in the country in a survey published by the Observer newspaper in May 2006. Stuart Cooper became the proud head of the department in September 2006.

The school has a relatively famous 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 council has so far been quite successful and fairly popular, and was voted the best in the South-West by the Headteachers' Association in the academic year of 2005-06. The council for 2006-07 will be decided in the near future with hopes that Shaun Fenton will lead them into an even more prosperous future.

A music teacher at the school is currently involved in an ongoing court case involving an alleged relationship with a 17 year old pupil. [2][3]

The school is also known for its consistently good performance in the Young Enterprise competition held amongst schools nationwide.

On one occasion in the 1970s the school became the champion of the BBC Radio quiz programme Top of the Form.