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Join us for the latest news updates and find friends and colleagues from Cheltenham Grammar School for boys, Pate’s Grammar School for Girls and the current Pate’s Grammar School. Alumni, parents past and present, former and current staff and friends of the school are all welcome.
Hello, glad you've found us!
We are excited to invite you to join our community network - a place for alumni, parents past and present and current and former staff to stay in touch with each other and with us. I hope it will prove an invaluable resource for creating opportunities and supporting one another.
You'll be able to access school news, discover some wonderful alumni and careers stories, find old friends and colleagues and peruse our photo galleries.
Please create your profile and keep coming back regularly for the latest news updates, to share your stories and find old friends, we want to keep the connection strong – you are part of our Pate's story and our vibrant community!
During this, our special 450th anniversary year we're hoping that many more of our Pate's community will want to join us - we're looking forward to welcoming and connecting with you soon!
Dr James Richardson
Headteacher
On Sunday 9 March, Cheltenham College hosted the Finals of the Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year, in their Big Classical and there were two P… More...
Ben always fully embraced the academic and extra-curricular opportunities which were on offer to him at Pate's and he's now doing the same at Oxford U… More...
The Archives Corridor and Store are situated in the main school building. We enjoy displaying treasures from our illustrious school history to student… More...
Phil's love of teaching was fostered at CGS and the encouragement of the staff there persuaded him that this was his vocation. More...
A Life in the Law: Part 1. Fully committed to his law studies and prepared to work his socks off, Charles was justly rewarded for his hard work. More...
Life After Pate’s: An Unexpected Journey from the UK to the US. More...
David Lyall looks back to the 1940s when Cheltenham Grammar School had what was in effect its own Junior School, before the formation of Pate’s Juni… More...
We are giving you advance notice to get match fit for the annual Alumni sports matches! Return to Pate's on Wednesday 9th April 2025 to take part in the Alumni netball, hockey and football matches against the Pate's First teams. All year / age groups welcome to play… Read more
We are excited to announce that Pate's Diwali is taking place on Saturday 8th November from 3 pm - 7 pm. Last year was the 10th anniversary of Pate's Diwali and we were very happy that over 500 people attended! As well as being a spectacle of dance, light, taste and … Read more
Hot on the heels of a very successful Higher Education & Careers Fair last November, we are once again looking for alumni to support this year's fabulous event in joining universities and businesses and chatting with our current students in Years 10-13… Read more
Lizza Head (nee Mitchell)
PGS 1998-2005
'I feel privileged to be able to pay forward some of what was invested in me by teaching at Pate's now. The school still allows students a huge amount of independence and autonomy encouraging learning through collaboration and taking risks and the core ethos that together we can learn and grow is unchanged.'
Mark Cratchley
PGS 1985-1992
'I had Mr Beale for more than 50% of my lessons. His encouragement of my writing and acting, even in the face of my teenage apathy and rebellion, kept me going at Pate's. His passion for his subject, and his faith in his students, is something that I hope I can learn from. However, the irony of me being permanently situated outside of the Headmaster's office, albeit in a photograph, is not lost on me.'
Nicola Eagleton
PGS 1987-1994
'My love of languages started in the first few days at Pate's. Before starting secondary school, I hadn't been anywhere where English wasn't spoken and the idea of conversing in foreign tongues was, well, foreign to me. This all changed with my first German lesson, when a young, lively German teacher breezed into the classroom with her guitar, covers of Eurovision winners ('Ein Bisschen Frieden' anyone?) and taught us incredibly long, tongue-twisting German words that seemed to open up a new world of excitement to me.'
Matt Gilchrist
PGS 2012-2019
'There was no sense of thinking people to be odd or boring for being interested in 14th century Spanish poetry or the philosophical implications of quantum physics, and I believe that it was this organically cultivated atmosphere which made Pate's as intellectually a stimulating environment as it was.'
Dr Annette Bugaighis (nee Tibbles)
PGSG 1961-1968
'I feel that being a pupil at Pate's was so important - a grammar school education was greatly valued. We were girls of similar backgrounds and there was no obvious inequality or bullying. I think we had a good work ethic and knew what was needed to succeed. This carried on after leaving school with all the girls who were in my year having successful careers. '
Professor Lynne Hunt (nee Hardy)
PGS 1959-1966
'I've looked back at my teachers and realised that the women forged a career path for themselves through the 1950s and 60s when they would not have had the support services that my generation of feminists fought for – no childcare, nor maternity leave. Many were unmarried and some were stereotypically spinsterish, but they were strong women who had earned themselves a degree at university.'
Nick Thomas
CGS 1969-1975
'I first clapped my eyes on Pate's Grammar School in the Spring of 1969. It was an Open Day and I and 200 other aspiring 11 year olds were shown around by adults in long gowns and prefects with spotty faces. My first abiding impression was of the outside. The school looked like a futuristic ship that had run aground in a huge sea of grass.'
Lizza Head (nee Mitchell)
PGS 1998-2005
'I feel privileged to be able to pay forward some of what was invested in me by teaching at Pate's now. The school still allows students a huge amount of independence and autonomy encouraging learning through collaboration and taking risks and the core ethos that together we can learn and grow is unchanged.'
Mark Cratchley
PGS 1985-1992
'I had Mr Beale for more than 50% of my lessons. His encouragement of my writing and acting, even in the face of my teenage apathy and rebellion, kept me going at Pate's. His passion for his subject, and his faith in his students, is something that I hope I can learn from. However, the irony of me being permanently situated outside of the Headmaster's office, albeit in a photograph, is not lost on me.'
Nicola Eagleton
PGS 1987-1994
'My love of languages started in the first few days at Pate's. Before starting secondary school, I hadn't been anywhere where English wasn't spoken and the idea of conversing in foreign tongues was, well, foreign to me. This all changed with my first German lesson, when a young, lively German teacher breezed into the classroom with her guitar, covers of Eurovision winners ('Ein Bisschen Frieden' anyone?) and taught us incredibly long, tongue-twisting German words that seemed to open up a new world of excitement to me.'
Matt Gilchrist
PGS 2012-2019
'There was no sense of thinking people to be odd or boring for being interested in 14th century Spanish poetry or the philosophical implications of quantum physics, and I believe that it was this organically cultivated atmosphere which made Pate's as intellectually a stimulating environment as it was.'
Dr Annette Bugaighis (nee Tibbles)
PGSG 1961-1968
'I feel that being a pupil at Pate's was so important - a grammar school education was greatly valued. We were girls of similar backgrounds and there was no obvious inequality or bullying. I think we had a good work ethic and knew what was needed to succeed. This carried on after leaving school with all the girls who were in my year having successful careers. '
Professor Lynne Hunt (nee Hardy)
PGS 1959-1966
'I've looked back at my teachers and realised that the women forged a career path for themselves through the 1950s and 60s when they would not have had the support services that my generation of feminists fought for – no childcare, nor maternity leave. Many were unmarried and some were stereotypically spinsterish, but they were strong women who had earned themselves a degree at university.'
Nick Thomas
CGS 1969-1975
'I first clapped my eyes on Pate's Grammar School in the Spring of 1969. It was an Open Day and I and 200 other aspiring 11 year olds were shown around by adults in long gowns and prefects with spotty faces. My first abiding impression was of the outside. The school looked like a futuristic ship that had run aground in a huge sea of grass.'