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	Voluntary aided, selective
Headteacher	Shaun Fenton MA
Founder	Richard Pate
Specialisms	Languages and Science
Location	Princess Elizabeth Way Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL51 0HG England
Local authority	Gloucestershire
DfE URN	115754
Ofsted	Reports
Staff	87 teaching, 35 support
Students	948
Gender	Co-educational
Ages	11–18
Houses	Beaufort      Gloucester      Richmond      York
Colours	Black, Grey, White, Red
Publication	Pate's Progress The Grammar School Gazette
Website	www.pates.gloucs.sch.uk

Coordinates: 51°54′25″N 2°07′01″W / 51.907°N 2.117°W / 51.907; -2.117

Pate's Grammar School is a voluntary aided, selective grammar school in the Hesters Way area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England 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. In fact, the first female pupils came to the (Boys) Grammar School in 1971 or 72 to take their A-levels in the 6th Form, and vice versa.

In 2009, The Sunday Times ranked Pate's as the 9th best state secondary school in the UK.^[1]

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 at Pate's was also recognised as the best Physics department in the country in a survey published by The Observer in May 2006.^[6]

Sporting achievements

Pate's also has a strong sporting heritage, and this was continued in 2006, with the First XV Rugby squad achieving previously unparalleled successes on the pitch, under the guidance of ex-England scrum-half Peter Kingston.

In 2007 Pate's senior rugby teams completed a season unbeaten for the first time in 21 years captained by Tim Wells.

The school is currently near the end of the process of raising funds in order to complete new fitness facilities. The new £50,000 fitness suite, officially opened by Geoff Hurst, has been fully installed, and has been used to a great extent.^{[citation needed]}

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 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 2005–06.

The school is also known for its consistently good performance 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. On one occasion in the 1970s,^[vague] the school became the champion of the BBC Radio quiz programme Top of the Form. The school was also named as one of the four winners of the annual BBC School's Question Time competition in 2009.

Pate's is also heavily involved with charity work and has a very successful Charity Committee elected each year; in 2007–08, over £16,000 was raised. The school is situated in a deprived area of Cheltenham and under the headmaster Richard Kemp was well known for encouraging many deprived students to apply and hence making the school very mixed in its intake. The current headmaster is Shaun Fenton.

Notable former and present pupils

See also: Category:Old Patesians

• Siân Berry, the 2008 Green Party candidate for London Mayor, and a former female Principal Speaker of the Green Party.

Cheltenham Grammar School for Boys

• Tony Allcock, bowls player
• Adrian Bailey, Labour MP since 2000 for West Bromwich West
• Sir Benjamin Baker, co-designer of the Forth Bridge and other major engineering projects
• Jack Barrett CBE, President from 1971-2 of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
• Rt Rev Ernest Blackie, Bishop of Grimsby from 1935-7
• Sir Rowland Biffen, botanist and mycologist
• Prof John Butler, Professor of Physical Chemistry from 1952-6 at the Chester Beatty Research Institute, South Kensington
• Tony Christopher, Baron Christopher CBE, trade unionist, President of the Trades Union Congress from 1989–90
• Commodore John Clink OBE, Former Captain of HMS Ark Royal (R07)
• Air Vice-Marshal Geoffrey Cloutman CB, Director of Dental Services of the RAF from 1977–80
• Prof William Henry Corfield who revolutionised hygiene and household sanitation in Victorian England.
• Timothy Duffy, Chief Executive since 2004 of M&C Saatchi UK
• Kit Fine, philosopher
• Robert Stephen Hawker, Anglican clergyman, poet, antiquarian of Cornwall, and reputed eccentric. Introduced the first ever Harvest Festival.
• Prof Jack Hawkes, botanist, world expert on the genetics of the potato ^[7]
• The composer Gustav Holst
• Sir Robert Hunt CBE, hydraulic and aeronautical engineer ^[8]
• Gilbert Jessop, the famous cricketer
• Prof Martin Johnson, Professor of Reproductive Sciences since 1992 at the University of Cambridge
• Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones
• Geoff Dyer (author and journalist), author of But Beautiful winner of the 1992 Somerset Maugham Prize, amongst others
• Philip Jones OBE, TV Producer, and Head of Light Entertainment at Thames Television (his father was a language teacher at the school)
• Prof Gerald A. Kerkut, neuroscientist
• Sir Peter Lampl OBE
• Philip Lane (composer)
• Gordon Lewis (engineer), designed the Olympus engine, and the Pegasus engine for the Hawker Siddeley P.1127
• Rev Peter Millam
• James Parrack, sports journalist and former competitive swimmer
• General Robert Paterson OBE, Colonel Commandant from 1926-8 of the Royal Marines
• Malcolm Pinchin CVO, County Education Officer from 1982-93 of Surrey
• Sir Brian Pitman, Chief Executive of Lloyds TSB from 1983–97, and Chairman of Next plc from 1998–2002
• Prof Peter Posnette CBE, botanist, Director from 1972-9 of East Malling Research Station
• Robert Procter, Chief Executive from 1983–95 of Lincolnshire County Council
• John Ringham, well-known TV actor in the 1970s and 80s
• John Roberts, Liberal MP from 1885–1906 for South Caernarfonshire, Eifion
• Prof Kevin Roberts, Sir John Hicks Professor of Economics since 1999 at the University of Oxford
• Rex Tucker, TV director
• Sir Edgar Vaughan CBE, Ambassador to Panama from 1960-3, and Colombia from 1964–66
• Desmond Wilcox, TV presenter

Pate's Grammar School for Girls

• Prof Margaret Buck OBE, Head from 1991-2006 of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
• Prof Ann Henderson-Sellers, climate scientist
• Mary Honeyball Labour MEP for London since 2000
• Sue Limb, writer, novelist, humourist
• Dame Felicity Lott CBE, a famous opera soprano
• Prof Dame Lesley Rees, Professor of Chemical Endocrinology at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
• Sarah Walker, opera mezzo-soprano
• Prof Anne Warner, Professor of Developmental Biology since 1986 at University College London
• Dr Gill Aitken (née Parker), Director General, Legal Group, DWP

The headmaster, Shaun Fenton, can also claim celebrity links; his father being the singer and actor Alvin Stardust. His brother is the renowned musician Adam F.

See also

• Old Patesians RFC

References

1. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/parentpower/league_tables.php?t=state_secondary_schools
2. ^ Top GCSE results 2005, BBC News Online, 13 January 2005
3. ^ Top A-Level results 2005, BBC News Online, 13 January 2005
4. ^ School profile, BBC News Online, 19 January 2006
5. ^ School website
6. ^ Excellence of physics department recognised, The Observer, 21 May 2006
7. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1563695/Professor-Jack-Hawkes.html
8. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1474387/Sir-Robert-Hunt.html

External links

• Pate's Grammar School, official site
• pgsccf.org.uk, official Pate's Combined Cadet Force (CCF) site
• Pate's History, official site of the History and Politics Department