Today I wanted to extend my deepest, most heartfelt gratitude to everyone who volunteered their time so generously to support the Run for Jo 2026 this past weekend. It was a truly wonderful day that brought our entire community together. This year was particularly poignant as we marked 10 years of building a stronger, more collaborative, caring and compassionate community - continuing to build a lasting legacy to Jo Cox and celebrating the very values she stood for.   Coinciding with Father’s Day, it was also a fantastic opportunity to celebrate all the wonderful dads and father figures across our schools and our community. And, of course, a massive highlight for our younger participants (and many older ones!) was meeting George from CBeebies, which brought an extra dose of joy to the day. What made the day truly exceptional was seeing the incredible representation from every single level of our organisation. We had Members, Trustees, Governors, Leaders, school staff, learners, and parents/carers all standing side-by-side. This demonstrates powerfully how our Trust lives by its values and how committed our staff are with many giving up their time so generously over the past year (and for some colleagues, the past 10 years) to plan, organise and support great community events such as these. We have planners, organisers, volunteers, runners, walkers and cyclists-so many tremendous people in one fantastic community.    Days like this reinforce exactly why we do what we do. Our Trust’s mission is simple yet profound: to be the Trust at the heart of the Batley community.   Seeing our fantastic community unite with such energy and spirit proved once again that we are achieving that mission together. Thank you for your selflessness, your energy, and your unwavering dedication to our community. You are what makes our Trust so special.   We have two more Great Get Together community events planned for this week, with the famous Batley Bake Off running on Thursday 25 June at 10.30am at Upper Batley High School. Then, on Friday 26 June at 10am the Step Into The Future event at Batley Girls' High School. Then, our grand finale this summer is the Healey One Community event on Thursday 9 July at 1.30pm at Healey School.   The standard of competition at Batley Bake Off gets better and better, year by year. Whether you enjoy making cakes, or eating cakes, or simply coming along to watch - everyone is welcome. We hope to see you there!

Last week, I had the distinct privilege of being invited to 10 Downing Street to attend an event hosted by the Prime Minister. Walking through that historic door, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride—not just for the invitation, but for what it represents: a recognition of the vital role education plays in the fabric of our society. Yet, as I stood there reflecting on the current state of our society, I couldn’t shake a heavy truth. We are living at a time when our country and our world feel incredibly divided. It can often feel like the loudest voices are those seeking to stoke hate, fracture communities, and pull us apart. When faced with those who seek to divide us, we cannot stay silent. We must stand up against division and actively demonstrate a fundamental truth: we have far more in common than that which divides us. To counter this friction, it is absolutely essential that we all work together to build a kinder, fairer, safer, and more compassionate world.   So, where does that massive piece of work begin? It begins in our classrooms.   Schools are the front lines of a healthier democracy and a more empathetic world. They are the unique spaces where we teach children to respect difference rather than fear it. In an age of algorithms and echo chambers, schools are where we equip young people with the critical thinking skills to identify fake news and challenge misinformation. Crucially, our schools promote respectful discussion and debate. We are teaching the next generation that they can hold completely different views and opinions without being rude or disrespectful to those across the aisle. Disagreement is healthy; division and disrespect are not. There is a beautiful quote that perfectly captures the weight of this mission: "Education does not change the world. Education changes people and people change the world."   We aren't just teaching subjects; we are shaping the future architects of our society. By fostering empathy, critical thought, kindness and compassion in our children today, we are ensuring they have the tools to build the fairer, safer world we all deserve to live in tomorrow.   This vital mission feels particularly poignant this month. This June, our schools are proudly taking part in The Great Get Together, helping to build a lasting legacy for our local MP, Jo Cox who was tragically murdered 10 years ago. Through education, community events, and daily acts of kindness, Batley continues to prove its incredible resilience. Let us use this upcoming anniversary not just to remember a tragedy, but to actively recommit to the values Jo stood for.   We would love for you to join us in this celebration of unity. You can take part this June by holding your own Great Get Together event, or by coming along to one of these wonderful community gatherings: Run for Jo: Sunday 21 June at Oakwell Hall. You can lace up your running (or walking) shoes and sign up here: racebest.com/races/runforjo2026. The Batley Bake Off: Thursday 25 June at 10:30am, hosted at Upper Batley High School. Healey School One Community Event: Thursday 9 July from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. Everyone is welcome!   Let us look forward together. My deepest thank you to our incredible members, trustees and governors, our staff, our learners, and our wider community for proving, day after day, that we are always stronger together and for working tirelessly every day to make this vision a reality.