I am absolutely thrilled to share some extraordinary news with our Trust community: three of our wonderful schools; Hyrstmount Junior School, Batley Girls’ High School and Upper Batley High School have been recognised as Top 10 Schools in the country in the prestigious Edurio Survey Awards.   This national recognition is based directly on the feedback from our parent surveys, making it uniquely special. It places our schools among the very best in the entire country for parent engagement, satisfaction, and trust. It is vitally important to us that parents know their feedback does have an impact and this award is testament to that. In light of this amazing achievement, our Trust and school leaders have been invited to London this December for the official awards ceremony to celebrate alongside other outstanding education leaders.   At the heart of our Trust family of schools is a firm belief: schools and families are infinitely better, and are Stronger Together, when we communicate effectively, listen deeply, and work hand-in-hand to meet the needs of every child. These awards are a powerful reflection of that collaborative spirit in action. When schools and parents/carers build genuine, supportive partnerships, our young people thrive, grow, and achieve incredible things.   I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the staff, leaders, learners, and parents and carers at Hyrstmount Junior School, Batley Girls’ High School and Upper Batley High School. Your dedication, open dialogue, and shared commitment to excellence embody true #BatleyBrilliance. Thank you to all our parents and carers across the Trust for your continued feedback, trust and partnership. Together, we are building a bright, ambitious future for every child in our care.

We recently had the privilege of attending the very first Batley Brilliance event of the term at Manorfield Infant and Nursery School, and to say it set a high bar would be an understatement. From the moment we walked through the doors, the vibrant, tangible energy across the entire school was undeniable. Every single element of the event had been carefully considered and expertly crafted—a true reflection of 'The Manorfield Way' in action.   The unveiling of new class names, logos, and songs captured everything education should be all about. Whether they were Tigers, Jaguars, Wolves, or Eagles, hearing the children sing their class songs with complete pride just three weeks into term was deeply powerful. They already know they belong. Even our newest learners—the Lions and Bears in Reception—were settled, focused, and thoroughly engaged on just day 12 of their school journey. That is a massive testament to the dedication of the Reception team. Our new Cubs in Nursery already feel like they belong here.    Under the strong leadership of Headteacher Kate and her brilliant team, children at Manorfield are being empowered to be brave, resilient, and ready to lead. The message across the school is simple yet profound: “Be ready, be respectful, be your best!”   We wrapped up the visit in the school library, where vision has officially met reality. The craftsmanship in that space is breathtaking - huge thanks to Liam the Gardener for his exceptional work building a bespoke learning environment that will inspire generations of readers. A highlight of the event was watching one of their fantastic learners cut the red ribbon to officially open the space. The look on their face when they saw the new library was simply priceless. Their one word said it all: “wow.” Well done Team Manorfield, Batley is the place to be!