I am absolutely thrilled to share some incredible news with our entire community. One of our Trust schools has officially been named the Small Employer of the Year 2026. This award belongs to every single member of staff. It is a testament to the dedication, passion, and sheer hard work that defines our organisation.

In the education sector, it’s easy to focus solely on outcomes, data, and inspection frameworks. But we know the fundamental truth: for children to receive a great education, they need the very best staff.

It is the great staff we employ who inspire the children in our schools. From our teachers in the classrooms to our associate staff teams in administration roles behind the scenes, and those colleagues in children facing roles for pastoral care, you are all the heartbeat of this Trust family. You create the environment where our young people can thrive. That is why our core philosophy has always been simple yet powerful in Batley:"We train staff so they could leave, but treat them so they choose to stay."

This belief is a key part of our vision to be the employer of choice. We don't just want you to work here; we want you to grow here, flourish here, and feel deeply valued every single day. Great staff belong in Batley. While this is a collective victory, I want to give a special shout-out to a few individuals and teams who have truly championed this ethos:

• Emma Rodrigues: Huge congratulations and thank you for your superb work across CPD, staff development, teacher training, career planning, and succession planning. Your dedication ensures that our team's professional growth never stands still.

• Fatima: A massive congratulations to our star maths apprentice! Your hard work and bright future represent exactly why we invest so heavily in early-career talent.

• Upper Batley High School: Congratulations to the entire team! Your collaborative spirit and commitment to excellence embody the very best of what our Trust family of schools stands for.

Being recognised as Small Employer of the Year is a proud milestone, but our journey doesn't end here. We will continue to invest in our staff well-being, professional development, and career pathways. Our whole trust is built on all of us learning all of the time: our staff and our young people. We are all learners each and every day. 

Thank you to all our staff for everything you do for our learners, for each other, and for our Trust. Let's take a moment to celebrate this fantastic achievement together—you have earned it! Really well done Team Batley!