Welcome back!    We have reached the last half term of this academic year and we hope everyone enjoyed the break and to everyone celebrating Eid we hope you had a wonderful time. This week I would like to share some wonderful news about our trust wide work on equality and belonging. When we first set out on our mission to redefine what inclusive education looks like, we knew that true change wouldn't happen overnight. It requires a quiet, relentless commitment to making sure every single learner and staff member feels seen, heard and valued.   Today, I am incredibly proud to share a moment where that relentless commitment has been recognised on a global stage. One of our own schools has just been selected as a Best Practice Listening Hub by the Global Equalities Collective (GEC). In the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) space, it is easy to focus on policies, metrics and checkboxes. However, the leadership team, staff and learners at Batley Girls' High School understood a fundamental truth: you cannot build a truly inclusive community without first mastering the art of listening.   By establishing a dedicated Listening Hub, Batley Girls' created a safe, brave space where marginalised voices are amplified, lived experiences are honoured, and constructive, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations can happen safely. It wasn’t just about hosting meetings; it was about embedding active listening into the very fabric of their daily culture. The Global Equalities Collective recognised this proactive, empathetic framework as a blueprint for schools worldwide. Our colleagues aren't just hitting standards—they are setting them. Inclusion is not a project with a deadline; it is a continuous practice of empathy. This recognition proves that when we listen with the intent to understand, rather than just respond, we unlock the true potential of our community.   This achievement and recognition is wonderful for Batley Girls' High School, and the highly talented Amy Wilby, the Assistant Headteacher who led on this piece of work, but it is also a beacon for our entire Trust. It proves that the frameworks we are championing are not just theoretical concepts—they work in practice, and they transform lives. When learners feel a genuine sense of belonging and togetherness, their capacity to learn, innovate and grow expands exponentially. When staff feel safe, valued and appreciated, they do their best work.   A heartfelt thank you goes out to all our staff, across all our schools who work tirelessly to do their very best for the young people we serve. Thank you for your vulnerability, your dedication, and your refusal to settle for the status quo. This is about leading with heart, and doing the very best for our learners and the colleagues we work with. In Batley we are one big team. As an educational community, let’s use this milestone not as a finish line, but as fuel. Let's keep listening. Let's keep learning. And let's keep leading the way toward a fairer, more inclusive world.   As a great man once said; 'Education does not change the world, but education changes people, and people change the world.'

As we approach June 2026, our community faces a poignant milestone. It will be ten years since the tragic murder of Jo Cox. A decade has passed, yet the truth of her most famous words remains absolute: "We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us." Today, that sense of belonging and togetherness is needed more than ever in Batley and around the world.    As a Multi Academy Trust, our mission extends far beyond the classroom walls. We are not just educating the next generation; we are anchoring the community they belong to. True education thrives when schools, families, and the local community move forward hand-in-hand.   Nothing exemplifies this spirit of connection quite like a recent performance by our fantastic local community choir. I want to extend a heartfelt, personal thank you to the choir for their incredible community engagement. I was especially proud to see one of our very own school Chairs of Governors singing as part of the choir. My Alvy is an active and highly effective Chair of Governors and a positive and proactive member of the local community, always helping others and giving his time so generously to community action projects.    The Batley Community Choir’s rendition of "The Rose"—performed in moving memory of Jo Cox—was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when voices join as one. It wasn't just a beautiful musical performance; it was a demonstration of solidarity, healing, and shared hope. Through music, through education, and through daily acts of kindness, Batley continues to prove its resilience. Let us use this upcoming anniversary not just to remember a tragedy, but to recommit to the values Jo stood for. Let us look forward together.    Thank you to the Community Choir, our governors, our staff, our learners and our wider community for proving, day after day, that we are always stronger together.   You can take part in events this June by holding your own Great Get Together event, or by coming along to the Run for Jo on Sunday 21 June at Oakwell Hall. Sign up here: https://racebest.com/races/runforjo2026 or come along to the Batley Bake Off at Upper Batley High School on Thursday 25 June at 10:30am.