CEO Blog

• Community Makes Us

  Mon 13 Jan 2025

  What a snowy and icy start we had last week to the new term and the new year. Batley looked beautiful with a blanket of snow, but temperatures plummeted and ice was everywhere, including black ice, which made travel by bus, car and on foot incredibly treacherous. Our Trust schools, who are always solution focused, quickly shifted to blended learning and our caretakers and site teams (plus staff volunteers) sprung into action to clear the ice and snow as much as possible every day.

   

  Our pastoral staff were also making phone calls to families to check everyone was safe and well. Our teams secured some fantastic winter warming packs and managed to deliver those, along with food hampers, to families who needed them. It really was a fantastic team effort all across Batley with everyone helping out, in any and every way they could, to assist others.

   

  This is what Batley is all about, because we know that community makes us, and it is the brilliant people who live and work in Batley that make it such a great place to be. 

   

  TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More.

  

• Welcome Back!

  Mon 06 Jan 2025

  Happy New Year! I hope you have enjoyed a relaxing Christmas break. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year. 

   

  Across our Trust family of schools we are excited for what 2025 will bring, and for all that we can achieve together this year.

   

  Our Trust family of schools continues to go from strength to strength with strong outcomes, excellent attendance, high quality teaching, great behaviour for learning and fantastic community work. The brilliant work of our schools has been recognised in a recently published book called, 'Beyond Boundaries' where our schools feature as a case study for leading great SEND provision across a Trust. Our Smart Academy was described as exceptional by Ofsted, and UBHS has been chosen from over 400 entries to become a UK Education Ambassador for language diversity. UBHS is one of only six schools in the UK to partner with Pocketalk, a global leader in translation technology. The Fields community spaces are doing extremely well, and The Fields at Manorfield has been running a wide range of activities, classes and training sessions to benefit our wider community, as well as our learners and their families.

   

  We are the Trust at the heart of the Batley community. Here's to all that we can achieve together in 2025 and beyond. 

  

• Season's Greetings

  Mon 16 Dec 2024

  It is hard to believe that 2024 is coming to an end. It has been a fantastic year for our Trust family of schools. We have won awards, featured as a case study for best-practice in a new book about special educational needs, titled 'Beyond Boundaries', our work on ethical leadership received recognition in the House of Lords, we have received great feedback from Ofsted with our Smart Academy being described as exceptional, our talented singers performed recently in the Batley lights switch on and Batley Girls' are hosting a brilliant festive themed escape room in their library. This week we have a huge array of activities taking place including celebration assemblies, end of term productions, nativities and plays, and Batley Grammar School presents their production of Annie. 

   

  Wow - oh what a year!

   

  We are also collecting donations of food and toiletries this week in all our schools so that we can help families across Batley over the festive period. Every little donation goes a long way. 

   

  We would like to thank our whole community for the support they have shown us in 2024 and we are excited for what 2025 will bring - certainly more brilliance in Batley! Have a wonderful Christmas break everyone. 

  

• Festive cheer

  Mon 09 Dec 2024
  The Batley Multi Academy Trust schools were delighted to be invited back (by popular demand) to perform at the 2024 Batley Christmas lights switch on event. Learners from across our Trust family of schools joined together to perform some festive songs in Batley market place. The backdrop was stunning, in front of Batley library, which is situated in the historic Grade II listed Carnegie Building, a timeless Batley landmark. The town square was packed full of parents/carers, Trust school colleagues and members of our local community, all eagerly awaiting the Christmas lights switch on.

   

  Our learners were fantastic and they filled the town square with wonderful songs and good cheer to warm everyone up on a chilly evening, followed by a brass band from Woodkirk Academy which continued the festive music. The feeling of being proud to live and work in Batley was evident; there was a strong sense of community and belonging as people supported local businesses at the stalls, as well as local talent in the performances. A great time was had by all. As we always say in Batley; Community Makes Us and the unity in community is key. Some of you may have even recognised Santa's Elf was none other than our very own Ms Rodrigues! We can't wait until 2025 to perform for the town again.

   

  Over the next two school weeks of this academic year so many exciting community events, shows and productions are taking place and we hope you'll take the time to visit our schools and see our learners' wide range of unique skills and talents. In Batley, learning doesn't simply start and stop at the school gates.  

  

• London launch of Beyond Boundaries

  Mon 02 Dec 2024

  Batley Multi Academy Trust was delighted to be invited to attend the launch event in London for contributors to the fantastic new book about leading great SEND provision, titled 'Beyond Boundaries', written by the amazing Natalie Packer and David Bartram.

   

  Natalie and David are two of the best SEND experts there are. They are passionate about young people, inclusive education and how it is our absolute duty as educators to ensure all our young people get the very best start in life. As we always say in our Trust family of schools, no child left behind - ever. 

   

  The book is packed with practical tips, ideas and strategies for success and pulls together a diverse range of voices from across the sector. The book inspires readers to consider, not simply that high quality SEND provision is one of the biggest challenges facing our sector currently, but it offers solutions to overcome those challenges and inspires us all to be creative in how we find ways to overcome those challenges. Where there is a will, there is always a way. We cannot wait for the Government to play catch up with a national strategy for SEND because these amazing children are in our schools now.

   

  Therefore, in terms of providing a fantastic education coupled with high-quality care, guidance and support for all our young people we say, 'If not us, then who? If not now, then when?'

  

• Compassionate Leadership

  Mon 25 Nov 2024

  I was delighted to attend the Compassionate Leadership event in Birmingham on Friday, with a group of like-minded, highly-committed and compassionate leaders. The purpose of the event was to look at how leaders can excel in education, but also what leaders can learn from each other across different sectors, not only in the field of education. 

   

  In an increasingly insecure and troubled world, a kinder and more humane education system is a moral imperative and is worth striving for. The day was superbly planned and facilitated by the wonderful Maggie Farrar and Steve Elliott and was kick started by the brilliant Professor Michael West, whose work in the Health and Social care sector demonstrates the hugely significant impact compassionate leadership can have on patients.

   

  In a world where we can be anything, we can choose to be kind, and show compassion to ourselves and to others. Compassionate leadership isn't about being 'soft and fluffy', it is about leading with honesty and integrity, and not shying away from those difficult conversations that need to take place. Compassionate leadership really is about doing the hard things, in a human way.

   

  As Barack Obama once said, "Do we settle for the world as it is, or do we work for the world as it should be?". Our young people get one start in life, and their education has the potential to make their future a great one. Providing a first-class education requires the very best staff and that's what our children deserve, the best. Our colleagues also deserve great working environments and to be part of fantastic, high-performing teams. Our role, as leaders, is to ensure that happens, and that we build compassionate cultures in our schools and the communities we serve. 

  

• Charity in our community

  Mon 18 Nov 2024

  As a Trust family of schools, we place high value on activities and events to support charities. Every year our school councils and learner leadership groups decide which charities they would like to support and why. Not only do they learn about the importance of charity work, but they also learn about democracy at the same time. Our learners vote and some schools support one main charity each year, others support one each term, that is for our young people to decide. Our learners choose charities that are close to their hearts, and all our young people are passionate about helping others, especially those less fortunate than themselves.

   

  Last week we saw some wonderful fundraising activities across our family of schools to support Children in Need. Our staff and learners were creative in how they could raise money, and they did a superb job whilst having fun at the same time. In Batley learning doesn't start and stop at the school gates.

   

  We also saw everyone across our Trust family of schools supporting Anti-Bullying Week last week. There were odd socks worn everywhere to symbolise that everyone is different, everyone is unique and we should share and celebrate those differences. We all have far more in common than that which divides us. 

  

• Lest we forget

  Mon 11 Nov 2024
  This week our Trust family of schools are remembering those who lost their lives or were injured, and those who lost loved ones, in order for us to live life as we know it, and for us to experience the freedoms we have today. We recognise they gave their tomorrows for our today. Many of our young people and staff supported remembrance events on Sunday to demonstrate their respect for others. 

   

  Currently we continue to see deeply troubling times around the world. Our young people know the importance of community, and that community makes us. The unity in community is crucial; our school councils and learner leadership groups take part every year in some wonderful social action projects to ensure we do all we can to help others. Our wider community and charity work is a crucial part of what we do in Batley. Education does not start and stop at the school gates.

   

  Many of our families have been celebrating Diwali recently and the festival of lights celebrates new beginnings, light over darkness, and hope over despair. This is fitting both today on Armistice day, and in light of the conflicts around the world. 

   

  On this theme, we reflect on the words of the poet Amanda Gorman; "For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it."

  

• Award Winning Success for UBHS

  Mon 04 Nov 2024

  Welcome back! We hope you have enjoyed the half term break. It has been a very busy time across our Trust family of schools with site development work. We are constantly improving our learning environments and the school holiday period is when the magic happens in order to keep all our buildings in tip top condition! Our caretakers and site teams work hard, together with external contractors, and we are very proud of our exceptional team. 

   

  We would also like to congratulate UBHS on their superb success with their recent Modeshift STARS Award. UBHS was deemed the regional Modeshift STARS winner for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, for their exceptional work, which means they have now been invited to the National Awards in London. UBHS have been recognised as demonstrating excellence in supporting a 'healthy body, healthy mind' approach with cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable and active travel to and from school, and in the wider community. UBHS is keen to keep all learners fit and healthy and one great way to do this is by learners walking or cycling to school on a daily basis.  

   

  This is a superb achievement and is testament to UBHS's commitment to health and wellbeing, road safety and environmental sustainability. Well done to everyone involved and we wish you the very best of luck for the national final! 

  

• Young people cannot be what they cannot see

  Mon 28 Oct 2024

  I was delighted to be invited to the Gujarati Writers' Forum (GWF) event for the launch of Ahmad Lunat OBE's new book 'Our Heritage 2'. Ahmad is a well respected member of our local community, a Member of our Trust, and a man who champions the role of women in our community and our society as a whole.

   

  During the evening I was thrilled to be presented with a special recognition award for outstanding services to education. Myself and several other women were the very proud recipients of special recognition awards on the night. We hope this helps to inspire the next generation of women and girls in our schools, and our community, to be the best version of themselves; aim high, be ambitious and achieve their goals. 

   

  The awards were as follows:

  
  Samantha Vickers - in appreciation of her outstanding contribution to the field of education and supporting GWF, presented by Rt Hon Iqbal Mohammed MP for Dewsbury & Batley.
   

  Fatima Patel - in appreciation of her outstanding continuous excellence in journalism, presented by Rashiqa Laher.
  
  Hawabibi Laher, OBE - in appreciation of her pioneering contribution to the education profession and inspiring the next generation, presented by Jeanette Dent retired teacher and still active in the profession.
   

  Saheda Yusuf Patel - in appreciation of her outstanding contribution to the Royal Voluntary Service, presented by Zaynab Daji, daughter of the late Ismail Daji who was the longstanding Secretary of GWF.
   

  Maryam Adam - in appreciation of being a lifelong host of legendary cricketers and their families, presented by Aisha Iqbal, BBC Journalist.

   

  You can read more about the event on our Batley Brilliance page.