Know exactly where your child stands for Pate's Grammar School

Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Pate's Grammar School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.

Pate's Grammar School

School typeGrammar

Also known asPate's

AddressPrincess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, GL51 0HG

Pate's Grammar School is a mixed grammar school in Gloucestershire. The 11+ entrance exam uses the GL exam board, and there is no interview stage for Year 7 entry. The pass mark and selectivity ratio are currently unknown.

If your child is the kind who races ahead and wants to be surrounded by others who feel the same, Pate's is the Gloucestershire school they'll have heard whispered about, the one bright and motivated children across the county hope to win a place at. It wears that reputation lightly. Co-educational and around 1,290 strong, it sits on the edge of Cheltenham, and its story reaches back to 1574, when the Tudor lawyer and MP Richard Pate founded a grammar school in the town. The school as it stands today came together when Cheltenham's separate boys' and girls' grammars later merged.

What parents tend to notice first is the tone of the place. The Good Schools Guide describes the typical 'Patesian' as showing 'understated brilliance', clever and kind children doing remarkable things without fuss or swagger. The head is quick to say this is 'not an exam factory', and you feel that in an ordinary day. Music is, in the pupils' own words, 'massive here', with an unusually broad programme, almost all the sport happens on site so it folds into the school day, and a firm 'never used, seen or heard' phone rule keeps heads up and conversation flowing.

It's a school for the curious, self-driven child who'll be happiest stretched among others just as keen, and who's trusted to get on rather than chased along. Led since 2023 by Dr James Richardson, Pate's lives up to a motto that reads almost like a promise to every family: 'that which is hidden shall be revealed.'

Key facts

Gender

Mixed

Year 7 places

150

Annual fees

None

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Open day

June

Registration opens

May

Registration closes

June

CAF deadline

Oct

Admissions contact

office@patesgs.org

Admissions phone

0124 252 3169

Registration form

View registration details

Sibling policy

What this school tests

Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test

English16 question types

PunctuationReading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Text Classification and PurposeReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / ChoiceSentence CompletionSpelling

Maths23 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMagic squaresMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueNumber WallsOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning14 question types

Extended Figure SeriesFigure AnalogiesFigure MatricesFigure OperationsFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMost Like Three FiguresMost Like Two FiguresOdd Figure OutStar MatricesTriangle MatricesTriangle SeriesVertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning26 question types

AnagramsCompound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert a LetterLetter AnalogiesLetter CalculationsLetter CodesLetter GridsLetter SequencesMove 1 / 2 LettersNumber AnalogiesNumber CalculationsNumber SequencesRelated WordsRhyming SynonymsShuffled SentencesSynonymsWord / Logic PuzzlesWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord PairsWord RelationshipsWords and Codes

Spatial Reasoning8 question types

2D RotationsBlock CountingCombining ShapesFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeShape Completion

Previous exam results

GCSE results

In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 82.7 across their GCSEs. 99.3% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 68.9% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved an A average grade per A-Level entry. 71.3% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Pate's Grammar School use for the 11+?

Pate's Grammar School uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entrance exam.

Does Pate's Grammar School interview as part of the 11+ process?

No, there is no interview stage for Year 7 entry at Pate's Grammar School.

Is Pate's Grammar School co-educational?

Yes, Pate's Grammar School is a mixed-gender school.

What type of school is Pate's Grammar School?

Pate's Grammar School is a state-funded grammar school.

What is the official website for Pate's Grammar School?

The official website for Pate's Grammar School is https://www.patesgs.org/.

How do you get a place at Pate's Grammar School?

Your child first needs to reach the required standard in the entrance test. Pate's takes the shared Gloucestershire grammar schools test of two papers, covering verbal, numerical and non-verbal reasoning, sat once in September. There's no fixed pass mark: it reflects a child's rank position, not a set score. Among children who reach the standard, places go in priority order. Looked-after and previously looked-after children come first, then a capped number of priority places (favouring pupils eligible for Pupil Premium and those in the Cheltenham area), then local places for children in Gloucestershire, then UK-wide places. A child with an EHC plan naming the school is admitted first. The standard depends on demand each year.

What happens if my child is ill on 11+ test day at Pate's Grammar School?

For a disability or special need, you can ask for reasonable adjustments such as extra support on test day. Tell the school when you register, with supporting evidence like an EHC plan or a report from a doctor, educational psychologist or specialist teacher. For illness on the day itself, Pate's does run a Medical Test, usually a few days later, but you must contact the Admissions Officer before the test begins (ideally a few days before) and provide documentary evidence such as a medical certificate. Without that evidence the Medical Test can't be arranged, and only children already registered for the main test can sit it, so let the office know as early as you can.

Location

Your child’s 11+ journey starts with a single diagnostic

4 subjects. 56 expert-authored questions. A complete picture of where they are, and a personalised plan to get them exam-ready.