Celebrating Five Years at Pate's

At the start of GCSE Study Leave, Year 11 student Parth reflected on his "monumental" Pate's journey to date. With GCSE Results Day just two days away, we share this piece in celebration of this year's Year 11, and wish all of our Year 11 students the very best with their results and next steps, here at Pate's Sixth Form or wherever you may have chosen for your future studies. 

"Year 11 has just reached the end of a monumental journey: five years, almost a thousand days and countless memories. At the end of this momentous milestone, I want to reflect on my start of secondary school, and how the many starts throughout this adventure at Pate’s have brought me to where I am today. 

Induction day in our Year 7 class marked the start of a new life, and with it came new friendships, and new experiences. Pate’s has a unique spirit of belonging, and we nervous Year 7s clutching maps and wandering aimlessly through corridors soon began to consider Pate’s our second home. Every diverse and enthusiastic student in our new class shared a passion for learning and mutual respect - something we had begun to appreciate in the wider Pate’s community.  

We bonded with other year groups through House Drama, and my House’s performance won in Year 8 - a product of our Year 12 House Officials’ diligent perseverance, our teachers’ conviction and the collective dedication of all us students.

Inspired by the host of co-curricular opportunities, I founded one of the first student-led societies in Year 9 - AstroSoc - where 45 students with shared passions have thrived through weekly sessions, school events, competitions and a trip to the National Space Centre. Pate’s has given eager students like me a platform, endless support and compelling motivation to empower me in doing something like this. 

In Year 10 we embarked on the daunting voyage of GCSEs, learning challenging content that went deeper and far beyond the national curriculum. But we committed students foster an environment that welcomes challenge, which we constantly encountered and resolved going into Year-11. And beyond GCSEs, we continue to be given the right support to make confident career decisions, whether to top universities, competitive degree apprenticeships or more. 

Approaching the end of this journey, I realise how many unique life-building skills and experiences Pate’s has given me, which other schools wouldn’t have. After 5 years at Pate’s, we Year 11s realise how forever grateful we are to the hard-working staff, enthusiastic teachers and our Headteacher for always going ‘above and beyond’ in furthering us as students, and as people.  

As they say, every start has an end. But more importantly, every end comes with a new beginning. I cannot wait to start a new chapter of my life with Sixth Form at Pate’s, building new experiences, skills and friendships along the way."