Vision & Values
Pate’s 2035 Vision
Our History Inspires Our Future
Pate’s has been educating young people for over 450 years. In 2024, we marked this extraordinary milestone by celebrating the bold and reforming instincts of our founder by reaffirming our commitment to create a school of unrivalled excellence and academic rigour; a place of learning that inspires young minds to think independently, challenge orthodoxy, and embrace the emerging ideas of our age.
From its inception, Pate’s has been a place of innovation and creativity where conventions are challenged and independent thought promoted; a place where its students are encouraged to explore new ideas, and to lead with integrity and purpose. These values remain central to our ethos today and are evident in the well established hallmarks of a Pate’s education: intellectual rigour, curiosity, creativity, and compassion. They will continue to be cornerstones of our educational approach guide us as we navigate the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Like all educational institutions, Pate’s faces the challenges of shifting technological landscapes, evolving questions of identity, and the enduring tension between tradition and modernity. These forces compel us to reflect continually on how best to nurture and prepare young people for the world beyond.
What Does Pate’s Stand For?
Our ambition is simple: to provide an education of unrivalled excellence. In this bold statement, we look beyond discrete notions of academic success and pastoral care, to bridge into the realm where we consider what it will take for our young people to feel like they belong to our historic institution, to thrive and excel here, and to be given the foundations from which to lead in their chosen field.
Pate’s is a place of possibility and hope: of scholarly aspiration, of joy in being part of a community where opportunities to pursue passions and interest are boundless. We take great pride in the sense of belonging we foster - something increasingly vital in a world that often feels fractured and divided.
Our Context: Pate’s, 1574 - 2035
Four centuries ago, learning was characterised by long, quiet hours of study. With our emphasis on independent learning, threads of that tradition remain as we choose to value the patient building of knowledge and resilience that underpins lifelong success. But we also embrace the joy of the moment, the celebration of community, and
the richness of shared experience. Alongside the dazzling moments of House events, sporting triumphs, language exchanges, and academic competitions, lies the deeper purpose of education: to provide a springboard for life beyond examinations.
Our Vision for 2035: to Belong, to Thrive, and to Excel
To Belong
To belong at Pate’s in 2035 is to be part of a school that celebrates diversity – of thought, background, and talent – yet united by a common commitment to learning. To become a Patesian is to belong to something greater than oneself: to join a tradition of excellence that stretches back over four centuries, and a living community that nurtures identity, purpose, and connection.
Belonging at Pate’s is not abstract - it is felt. It begins with the House system, the heart and soul of our school, the common touch point within their tutor group. From this base, they contribute to a vibrant culture of participation and pride, learn from their older peers and create their most memorable school experiences. It is within these Houses that so much of Pate’s school life is experienced and the character and development of our students is shaped.
Beyond these core communities, students are encouraged to play active roles in sports teams, clubs, and societies, each offering a sense of purpose and identity through shared endeavour. These communities foster leadership, collaboration, and joy.
Our pastoral system is designed to reinforce this sense of belonging, offering multiple touchpoints of care and connection. Students are supported by adults, peers, and older students, forming a network of relationships that help them feel seen, valued, and understood.
To Thrive
At Pate’s, we believe in a technicolour education - one that offers richness, breadth, and depth. Our students thrive not only in academic pursuits but across multiple spheres of life. We provide them with the opportunities tools to explore, discover, and flourish across a wide range of disciplines and experiences.
Thriving goes beyond academic success: to thrive is to find joy, meaning, and purpose in daily life. It is about cultivating a mindset of commitment, effort, and resilience - qualities that enable students to grow through challenge and to take pride in their progress. We believe that achievement is not measured solely by grades, but by the journey of learning itself. This attitude is fostered in the classroom and beyond. Whether through artistic expression, athletic competition, scientific inquiry, or community service, students are encouraged to engage deeply and wholeheartedly. Every aspect of school life contributes to their development. At Pate’s, the entire school experience is the curriculum.
At Pate’s, we create the conditions for thriving by nurturing wellbeing, fostering curiosity, and celebrating effort. Students thrive when they feel safe to take risks, to ask questions, and to pursue their interests with confidence.
We want every student to leave us not only with knowledge, but with the inner resources to lead a fulfilling and purposeful life.
To Excel
To attend Pate’s is to join a community of bright minds - intellectually curious, brave in their thinking, and ambitious in their aspirations. To thrive here is to embrace the joy of learning, the love of subject, and the thrill of full participation in school life. At Pate’s, excellence is not a narrow pursuit - it is a broad and inclusive aspiration that encompasses intellectual growth, personal development, and social contribution.
We cultivate independent thought, curiosity of mind, and the ability to channel talents into meaningful pathways. Our students are encouraged to think critically, to challenge assumptions, and to develop the skills that will serve them in higher education, careers, and life beyond school.
Excellence at Pate’s extends beyond conventional notions of success. Our vision for excellence is rooted in participation. We want every student to excel in their own way - whether through academic achievement, creative expression, or contribution to the school community. Excellence is not reserved for the few; it is a shared endeavour, built on effort, opportunity, and support.
Our students are leaders: some lead quietly through their intellectual strength; others are bolder and restless for change, choosing to lead from the front. But all of them are dedicated, committed, optimistic and embrace the opportunities presented to them – these characteristics provide them with the foundation from which to lead. These are the hallmarks of our students, enabling them to lead with empathy and resilience, adaptability and kindness.
To be at student at Pate’s is to live with purpose, to lead with integrity, and to carry forward the values of our school into the wider world.
What values do we demonstrate: how do we behave?
As a community, we are ambitious, committed, optimistic and pursue excellence in everything we do - within the classroom and beyond; we embrace challenge and a can-do attitude to school and life, seeking out opportunities to participate and contribute to our school community and to the world beyond. We do this with joy, kindness, respect for others and commitment to a collaborative approach. These characteristics are exemplified in our daily approach to work - within the classroom, the office and beyond – and because of this, we take Pate’s beyond our current notion of unrivalled excellence into a realm beyond, where our standards, expectations and overall approach match our current standard in examination results.
What does this mean for students?
For our students, Pate’s should be the educational equivalent of being in a sweet shop with unlimited pocket money. Through our leading-edge curriculum and exceptional teaching, they are given an academic platform from which to pursue any future pathway. They are stimulated and challenged by engaging with new concepts and knowledge in lessons, and by their peer group’s intellectual curiosity and ambition. Quite naturally, most of our students will grab these opportunities, meet our expectations and thrive. For some, greater support, structure and encouragement is needed. A child with limited confidence to participate in class, not yet able to work as independently as we would expect, or self-regulate in the way that our current school culture presumes, is easily knocked off course by bumps in the road. The Pate’s 2035 Vision makes provisions explicitly for these children so that they too can thrive in the classroom at Pate’s.
Our aspirations are mirrored in life beyond the classroom. Many students take full advantage of the opportunities available at Pate’s: they learn a musical instrument, participate in sports tours, language exchanges, Duke of Edinburgh, CCF, and aspire to be a House Official. These students are already living our aphorism: ‘the entire school experience is the curriculum’. We present these opportunities to students and many take advantage, but we want all of our students to experience the uniqueness of Pate’s.
In our 2035 Vision, we aspire for our students to be committed to a mindset of excellence that extends beyond academic achievement. Our students should be committed to a standard in all areas of school life that is commensurate with our heritage and success: in attitude, uniform, and conduct; in their spoken presentation and approach. What will mark our students out from others with equal academic merit in the world beyond Pate’s, is a higher standard in other areas of school life.
Our Five Strategic Objectives, 2026-2029
To create a learning environment of unrivalled excellence. Through our leading-edge curriculum and exceptional teaching, we aspire to develop further a culture of intellectual curiosity and independent thinking, and provide a springboard for all our students to pursue any future pathway.
Pastoral Care and Personal Development
To create a community that nurtures identity, purpose and connection where everyone is celebrated and supported. We aim to cultivate a mindset of commitment, effort, and resilience - qualities that enable students to grow through challenge and to take pride in their progress. We want every student to leave us with the inner resources to lead a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Co-Curricular
At Pate’s, the entire school experience is the curriculum. Our intention is to build a student experience to embody our belief that the knowledge, skills gained outside the classroom holds equal value to those gained within. We will fulfill this ambition by providing students with life-changing experiences; opportunities to explore the world beyond Cheltenham, discover and pursue their passion, and flourish in friendships and connections.
Whether through artistic expression, athletic competition, scientific inquiry, or community service, students will be encouraged to engage deeply and wholeheartedly.
Our Community
Our aspiration is for Pate’s to play an integral part in our community, helping to drive opportunities for learning for local children, using our facilities, expertise and knowledge to make a positive contribution to the families of Cheltenham. We aim for our school community to reflect our commitment to diversity: in background, ethnicity and experience.
We aim to consolidate our place as a leading voice, both locally and nationally, providing expertise and thought-leadership on the issues where we have demonstrable strengths. Our advocacy for the Pate’s Vision is symbolic of our desire to use our unique circumstance to make a positive contribution to the education landscape.
