Pate's Grammar SchoolBalcarras School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Cheltenham.
Summary of the comparison
Pate's Grammar School and Balcarras School are secondary schools in Cheltenham.
Pate's Grammar School scores 89 out of 100 (grade A, exceptional) and Balcarras School scores 81 out of 100 (grade B, strong). Pate's Grammar School is ahead on our composite score.
Pate's Grammar School was judged Outstanding and Balcarras School was judged exceptional.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 82.4 for Pate's Grammar School and 62.1 for Balcarras School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Pate's Grammar School (84.0 in 2021-22, 82.4 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Balcarras School (62.9 in 2021-22, 62.1 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | CheltenhamPate's Grammar School | CheltenhamBalcarras School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | A89/100Stronger figure | B81/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 41 in Gloucestershire Stronger figure | 6th of 41 in Gloucestershire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Outstanding | Ofsted: Outstanding | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,288 | 1,427 | |
| Capacity | 1,220 | 1,359 | |
| Location | Cheltenham, GL51 0HG | Cheltenham, GL53 8QF | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 82.4 Stronger figure | 62.1 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 99.3% Stronger figure | 79.9% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 99.3% Stronger figure | 92.3% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 150 | 194 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 258 | 216 | |
| A-level average points | 50.8 Stronger figure | 40.3 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | A | B | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 51.0 Stronger figure | 40.5 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 71.3% Stronger figure | 21.1% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,288 | 1,429 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 3.8% | 6.4% | |
| English as an additional language | 25.3% | 3.7% | |
| SEN support | 5.6% | 6.0% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 0.2% | 2.5% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 4.5% Stronger figure | 5.0% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 13.3% | 9.8% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Pate's Grammar School
Balcarras School
Full profiles: Pate's Grammar School · Balcarras School