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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
Alumnus Dr Bertie Vidgen recently returned to Pate's to deliver a student talk. He is currently a lead researcher on AI safety evaluation for ML Commo… More...
In 1974, two CGS Sixth Formers took on the weighty responsibility of joint editors of a very special quatercentenary edition of the CGS magazine, The … More...
2024 marks the 450th anniversary of the founding of Pate's. Current Headteacher, Dr James Richardson, shares his thoughts about reaching this mileston… More...
Sir Robert Hunt, CGS alumnus, worked for the Dowty Group for 51 years. We are delighted to share the speech given by his daughter, Lady Heywood, at th… More...
Phoebe lends some valuable insights into her life as a Politics & International Relations student at the wonderful (small) city of Durham. More...
Our first featured article to be published as part of our 450th anniversary celebrations is 'Diary of a Schoolgirl in the Year 2024' from the 1924 PGS… More...
Our most recent leavers returned to Pate's for their first alumni reunion shortly before Christmas. More...
It's time to Spring clean your stick, bib and boots! Return to Pate's to take part in the Old Girls' and Old Boys' netball, hockey and football matches against the Pate's First teams. Former members of staff welcome to referee! All year / age groups … Read more
Following very successful Higher Education & Careers Fairs in 2022 and 2023, we are once again looking for alumni to support this fabulous event and join universities and businesses in chatting with our current students in Years 10-13. The students will attend with their… Read more
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. '
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.'
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.'
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.'
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.'
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.'
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.'
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. '
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.'
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.'
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.'
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.'
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.'
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.'