CEO Blog

• Every Day Matters for Every Child

  Mon 02 Feb 2026

  Manorfield Infant  and Nursery School has designed and shared with their families a great new poster to remind everyone how important every school day is, especially for our youngest learners. Attendance in nursery is just as important as attendance in every other year group. Some may argue attendance in nursery is even more important because this is when children learn the foundations of academic knowledge and skills, social skills and physical development.

   

  These skills underpin their learning and development for the rest of their lives. Learning is much like building a house, if you get the foundations right then you are ready for success, but if the foundations are weak then whatever goes on top of them will simply crumble.  

   

  Every Day Counts.

   

  Every child, and every adult in our Trust family of schools has an attendance target of 98% because lost learning days impact negatively on a child's education. Children will not make the required progress, and they may even lose their place in nursery or at school. Poor attendance also does not reflect well in a reference to another school, college or employer. 98% may sound like a lot, and if you achieved 98% as a test score you would probably be quite pleased with that. However, 98% attendance means you have already missed 4 days of learning and that's about 28 lessons. That's a lot of lost learning, so 98% is a minimum expectation, not a target. 

   

  Always remember Every Day Counts. Try not to miss any days.

   

  High Attendance = High Achievement. 

  

• Batley Brilliance at Batley Girls' High School

  Mon 26 Jan 2026

  Batley Girls' High School was delighted to host the PiXL Open Day event last week and share best practice with schools across our region. The event was coordinated by the fantastic Mrs Wilby, Batley Girls' Assistant Headteacher, and it was an opportunity for senior and middle leaders from Batley Girls' to showcase their exceptional work on school improvement to other school leaders. Batley Girls' school leaders presented their work on personal development, inclusion, careers and how they develop distributed leadership across their staff team, as well as how they develop and maximise learner leadership opportunities. Mr Scurr presented the bespoke and uniquely designed Batley Brilliance Bucket and how that is used to secure strong attendance, inspire learners to be the best version of themselves every day, and to play a positive and proactive role in school life, and their wider community.

   

  Careers is a golden thread of the entire Batley Girls' curriculum and Mrs Mehat leads this area of school life exceptionally well. Batley Girls' High School was also graded as outstanding by Ofsted for its Personal Development curriculum. 

   

  Feedback from the open day was incredibly positive about how the school builds a culture where the curriculum and wider learner well-being drives high academic achievement and how this is empowered by the distributed leadership model. One learner summed the day up the best when they said; "Learner leadership isn't symbolic - it is a meaningful part of how our school operates."

   

  Batley Girls' High School also received a letter from Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education last week praising them for their excellent results with learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. Batley Girls' has been recognised as achieving superb outcomes for these learners. This high achievement places Batley Girls' High School amongst the very best nationally. Really well done to Mr Kibble and the Batley Girls' High School team. 

  

• Attendance Champions

  Mon 19 Jan 2026

  This week we are congratulating Purlwell Infant and Nursery School for their fantastic attendance. Everyone in the Purlwell community has worked very hard to secure strong attendance over many months. As a result, Purlwell are the winning Trust School. Congratulations to all learners, staff and parents/carers for great teamwork in ensuring every learner has excellent attendance. Purlwell is also within the top 5 of all similar schools in the Department for Education analysis. Really well done Team Purlwell! It is great to see the silver trophies on display in your school. 

   

  Mrs Nazam, Purlwell's excellent Headteacher always has attendance as a high priority. School displays are excellent, all communication with children and parents/carers is about attendance and there are lots of rewards and incentives when children attend well. The Friday celebration assemblies are eagerly awaited by everyone! 

   

  Research also proves children make the most progress when they attend well, Every Day Matters. Every absence is a lost learning day, and every lesson counts, even our youngest children need to attend nursery and school every day if they are to reach their potential. This is when children learn the fundamental basics in maths and English, alongside social skills and physical development, and this underpins their learning for the rest of their lives. 

  

• Batley Brilliance

  Mon 12 Jan 2026

  Healey School was absolutely inspirational in their recent Batley Brilliance event. Trustees, governors, school leaders and colleagues from across the Trust family of schools were invited to see what unique strengths and talents Healey School and their superb learners have. Healey School did not disappoint!

   

  Mrs Lang, the Headteacher, shared her vision for the school, and their plans for future progress and development. School Leaders demonstrated the progress made in key areas such as maths, reading, writing and personal, social, health and economic education. 2025 saw great results in Key Stage 2 and even more success is predicted in 2026 and beyond. Every decision Healey School leaders make is child-centred. 

   

  Healey learners then stole the show when the choir performed the Power of Me which was truly inspirational. There was hardly a dry eye in the hall! The school's Attendance Ambassadors then talked about the importance of attendance and explained how they help all children across the school to have good attendance because Every Day Matters. The School's Learner Leaders then talked about how and why they were elected, and what role they play to help others.

   

  The school's values of 'Achieve, Believe and Succeed' shone through in every area of school life and every individual who spoke in the hall. One of the highly talented school governors had also made some absolutely delicious cakes and delicacies, complete with Healey School's logo and values. Well done Team Healey! Truly inspirational. 

  

• Happy New Year - 2026!

  Mon 05 Jan 2026

  Welcome back and Happy New Year! We know 2026 will be a great year in Batley for our Trust family of schools because our brilliant staff team have so many exciting learning activities planned for our young people. 2026 will be a year of high-quality education, inspiring and enriching educational activities which deliver success for all!

   

  Whilst there are so many challenges to face financially within the education sector, issues such as division across the country and the world; and heart-breaking tragedies some people face, we realise at the start of the new year that we can only control the controllables. Rather like the weather, which we cannot change, we also cannot change much of what the world throws at us. However, we can decide how it will affect us and how we will respond.

   

  As the highly acclaimed author Mel Robbins writes; rather like the weather, consider the true nature of the sky. The clouds that once frustrated you can be seen as a larger, ever-changing masterpiece. The storms that once frightened you are now moments of power and beauty, teaching you resilience and strength. The sky's unpredictability is what makes it so magnificent, so endlessly fascinating. 

   

  Therefore, consider that the sky will do what it does - clouds will gather, snow may arrive, storms will come, and the sun will shine when it pleases. You can't control it, but you can control how you navigate beneath it. You can carry an umbrella; you can dance in the rain, you can open schools in the snow and deliver great science & geography lessons about why snow falls (and great assemblies all about resilience and how to overcome any obstacle) and you can chase the sun when you need to!

   

  In Batley, we choose to maximise every learning experience we can. We recruit and retain only the very best staff in our teams, because they will deliver the best education for our children. We train our staff well so they could choose to leave, but we treat them well so they choose to stay.

   

  These great staff teams deliver a super education for all our children and give them the very best start in life. We can see this through strong attendance, high academic outcomes, great careers experiences and educational enrichment opportunities that take learning beyond the school gates. We never miss a learning opportunity. Every Day Matters.

   

  We look forward to seeing our young people believe, achieve and succeed in 2026 and beyond and we will support them to do so every step of the way. 

  

• Batley Brilliance

  Mon 15 Dec 2025
  The last school Monday of 2025 is here and we end the year in style with the Field Lane Batley Brilliance event. The new Headteacher, Mr Lorgat outlined his vision for making Field Lane a world class school. The new Assistant Headteacher, Miss Dobson, spoke of the school's fantastic achievements and fully inclusive ethos, where every child succeeds no matter what their background or starting point. Outcomes at Field Lane are exceptional. Inspirational Key Stage 2 learners spoke about the school's STAR values (Strength, Togetherness, Aspiration, Responsibility) and what a great education means to them. Then Key Stage 1 performed their nativity. There was not a dry eye in the house. Field Lane is a fantastic school, and a school at the very heart of the Batley community. 

   

  At the end of the Autumn term we would like to thank our whole community for their support for our schools and our learners this year. We are stronger together when we all work collaboratively for the good of our young people to give them the very best start in life.

   

  We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Enjoy the Christmas break and we look forward to 2026 and all that we can achieve together! 

   

  Community Makes Us. 

  

• Every Day Matters

  Mon 08 Dec 2025

  Every Day Matters - attendance is everything, and for children to achieve exceptional outcomes they need to attend school every day. Hyrstmount Junior School were all celebrating when they won the attendance trophies for Half Term 1 across the entire Trust family of schools. Well done to all staff, parents/carers and learners. 

   

  You can see from the face of Headteacher, the brilliant Mr Leach just how pleased the school were to win the trophies, which are now in proud display in the main reception.

   

  Our target for everyone in our learning community is 98%. This is because we know illness happens and at times you may be too unwell to attend school. 98% is equal to 4 lost learning days and 28 lessons missed. That is a lot of lost learning time, so although 98% sounds high, in terms of attendance it isn't really as every day matters, so we all need to aim for 100%.

   

  It is also crucial families do not book leave during term time. We know flights are cheaper during term time sadly, but there are 13 weeks a year when you can go overseas during school holiday periods. When children are of school age, a great education should come before saving money on cheaper flights. It is only for the first 16 years of a child's life-then there is much more flexibility. A great education is priceless! So let's all aim for that 98% minimum. Every Day Matters. 

  

• It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

  Mon 01 Dec 2025
  Our Trust choir was magnificent on Friday evening. Despite the wet and windy weather they performed Christmas songs to the backdrop of the stunning Batley Town Hall. It was wonderful to see governors, school staff, parents/carers and our learners all go along to support the choir, and sing along to the well known Christmas hits. Our learners have been practising hard as they were invited back by popular demand to perform at the start of the Batley Christmas lights switch on celebration events. The Healey team looked spectacular in the Christmas themed outfits and they really brightened up the stage!

   

  We even got to meet Santa Claus and make our wish for 2026 and beyond! Thank you Santa for taking time at this incredibly busy point of the year to visit Batley. If you look close enough you may even recognise Santa's Elf! A very special and hardworking Batley lady. It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in Batley. When done Team Batley for bringing a little bit of festive cheer to our community. 

   

  Community Makes Us. 

  

• TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More

  Mon 24 Nov 2025
  This week we would like to bring to your attention a fantastic teacher from Upper Batley High School (UBHS) who is going over and above to raise money for the Phoenix Project (the transformation of the school's Forest School outdoor learning space), and raise the profile of the importance of men's mental health.

   

  Mr Linney helped to set up the Go Fund Me page for UBHS to raise funds to rebuild the Forest School following the terrible arson attack that took place during the school's summer break. So far they have raised almost £2000, which is superb! Well done Mr Linney and Team UBHS - please make a donation if you can, every £1 helps! https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-rebuild-our-forest-school

   

  Mr Linney has also taken on the Chad 1000X workout both to raise funds and awareness of the importance of mental health and resilience. This challenge takes place to raise awareness and remind us of the power of mental resilience and the importance of supporting those who struggle in silence. The workout includes 1,000 box steps whilst carrying a 20kg rucksack. “Chad” represents the grind of perseverance — one step at a time. The repetitive motion is symbolic: progress can feel slow, effort can feel endless, but every step matters. Mr Linney explains why it matters below and was very proud to complete his challenge in 60 minutes and 38 seconds. Well done, Mr Linney!

   

  Why it matters:

  • Mental resilience: Completing 1,000 step-ups requires focus, patience, and determination. It’s an opportunity to train your mind to stay calm and to finish what you start.

  • Physical resilience: The legs, heart, and lungs are tested in equal measure. It’s not about speed, but consistency and discipline.

  • Community: Many gyms and organisations complete “Chad” together to raise awareness and to remind participants that no one should carry their burdens alone.

   

  Move with purpose and honour resilience — in body and in mind. Life can throw us all curveballs. Yet even when things seem tough, there’s a lot we can do to look after ourselves and others. Throughout Movember, across the country and the world, people are raising awareness about the importance of men's mental health. There are so many strategies that can help men cope and live happier, healthier, longer lives –no matter what life throws at them. We think about all of the great young men who study in our Trust family of schools, and the great men who work in our schools. Support is here for you all, you are never alone. 

  

• We have far more in common

  Mon 17 Nov 2025

  Our Trust leaders and Headteachers wore their odd socks to support anti-bullying last week. Bullying has no place in society or in our schools, and when it occurs in our schools it is dealt with swiftly. Every individual is unique, and it is those differences which should be shared, celebrated and respected in life. The culture of a school flows directly from its leadership and it is up to us to model the behaviour we expect from every individual in our learning communities. Schools are places where children learn, thrive and achieve, and where children grow in confidence and self-esteem. Our schools achieve excellent educational outcomes, and are also about children learning to be the best version of themselves as they Believe, Achieve and Succeed. In all of our schools we follow the Batley Way. This is all about treating every individual with respect, and treating others and you would wish to be treated yourself. We respect each other, look after each other and care about each other. Every school is a great place for children to learn, and adults to work. 

   

  Last week we had a real focus on anti-bullying across our Trust family of schools to raise awareness of the types of bullying, the impact it can have, and how to stop it. We have some fabulous initiatives in place, all based on an ethos of respect.

   

  Respect is at the heart of everything we do and our 3 basic principles in every school are:

   

  Respect Self

  Respect Environment

  Respect Community

   

  Our schools have Learner Leadership Teams, Anti-Bullying Champions and Ambassadors, Listeners, Wellbeing Wizards and so much more. We champion anti-bullying through everything we do each and every day. Bullying has no place in our schools, instead it is a culture of respect and celebrating difference for we are all unique in our own special ways. As a great woman once said, 'we have far more in common than that which divides us.'