CEO Blog

• Community Makes Us

  Mon 12 May 2025

  This week we celebrate the wonderful things our colleagues and learners do for others. Across our Trust family of schools adults and children alike give generously to support others, especially those less fortunate than themselves. Supporting fantastic local charities like, The Kirkwood and Forget Me Not Children's Hospice, are always close to our hearts. In June, we will also be supporting the Jo Cox Foundation with the Run for Jo, and our very own Batley Bake Off. 

   

  Staff also go the extra mile for others by doing things like regularly donating blood. This is easy to do and the Al-Hikmah Centre in Batley hosts sessions every few months. It's free and helps saves lives. It may even benefit you, giving you some time to sit quietly and read, listen to music or just relax. It can be difficult to find those quiet moments in a generally busy week. 

   

  This weekend some members of our staff teams ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon and Half Marathon, with many family and friends cheering them on. What a hot day to run that distance! Well done to everyone showing that tremendous commitment. Rob Burrow raised awareness around the world of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and how it affects people with the disease, but also the impact on their loved ones. 

   

  So, what can you do to give to others? It doesn't have to cost anything, it might be checking in on a neighbour or asking someone if they are ok, if they look a bit sad. Knowing someone is there for you, always makes people feel better.

   

  For our learners in primary schools this week it is their chance to shine with their assessments and we know they will do brilliantly! To all of those young people - you've got this! This is your chance to shine!

  

• VE Day - 80 years

  Tue 06 May 2025

  This week we remember all those who gave their tomorrow's so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. Celebrations have been taking place to mark the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) day; on Thursday 8 May 2025 it will be 80 years since VE day when the end of the second world war was announced in 1945.

   

  Over the weekend there were celebrations across the UK and in London there was a flypast Buckingham Palace, featuring various aircraft from that time, including the spectacular Red Arrows. 

   

  King Charles hosted a tea party for veterans of the war to mark their service and our Trust family of schools pay our respects to all those who lost their lives or were injured in the war, and their families, plus all those from around the world who gave many years of service.

   

  The country commemorates and celebrates this week, and there will be a two minute silence on Thursday. Our Trust family of schools all pay tribute to veterans and mark the celebration of the end of the war this week. Our learners have lots of memorabilia including medals, old ration books and photographs passed down from elder family members from the 1940s, and have even made their own plane!  

   

  As the wonderful poet Amanda Gorman wrote: "For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it."

  

• Batley Brilliance

  Mon 28 Apr 2025

  This week we would like to celebrate the Batley Brilliance seen at Healey. Healey School hosted this half term's Batley Breakfast event, and it was great to see so many Members, Trustees, Governors, leaders, colleagues and friends of the school, in attendance. The Headteacher, Mrs Lang, shared her vision for Healey School, outlining the transformational journey the school has been on in recent years, and their exciting plans for future growth and development moving forward.

   

  Learners talked about what they love about Healey School and why, and there was not a dry eye in the house during their sensational singing performance. The children's passion, talent and commitment was inspiring. Visitors were given a tour of the school and the opportunity to see, first-hand, the site developments being undertaken in the school grounds to enrich the outdoor learning experience for children. This not only develops the curriculum, but is also a key part of Healey School's environmental sustainability work. Children learn about growing plants, nurturing living things, and about where food comes from. It was then time for the official grand opening of the brand new, bespoke school pond, as part of the curriculum enrichment work, with Governor Sam Hartley proudly cutting the red ribbon.

   

  Healey School maximises every opportunity for learning both during the school curriculum, the extracurricular visits and experiences, the visitors coming into school for expert coaching, or careers/motivational talks. There are no limits to what children at Healey School can achieve. 

  

• Welcome back

  Tue 22 Apr 2025
  Welcome back! We hope everyone has enjoyed the Easter break and time spent with friends and family. Wishing everyone good health, peace, hope and happiness.

   

  Today we start the summer term, and the last term of this academic year. Time flies by and we have achieved so many great things this year across our Trust family of schools. As well as welcoming in the new term, we welcome two new schools to our Trust family. Purlwell Infant and Nursery School and Hyrstmount Junior School have now joined our Trust. We welcome staff and learners to our team and families to our Trust community. We now employ over 750 adults across our schools, and serve over 4,500 children. From 2 year olds who join our nursery provision and start their educational journey with us, to the 18 and 19 year olds in our sixth form, as well as the adults who train to teach with us in our Yorkshire Rose Teaching Partnership.

   

  In addition, we have our two community centres each called 'The Fields' - one based at Manorfield Infant School, and one based at Field Lane School. These community centres are where we offer classes, activities, training and support to families and individuals all across our community. We are a major employer in Batley, focused on improving the life chances of young people in our local area by delivering a great education. 

   

  Batley is filled with brilliance and we cannot wait to share more of that with you in these weekly blogs throughout the term ahead. The fantastic work in our schools has been recognised nationally. At Batley Girls' High School we have the CDI UK Careers Leader of the year 2024. Careers is the golden thread of the curriculum in all our schools and great careers education permeates every area of our work. Upper Batley High School was recently awarded Modeshift STARS Secondary School of the Year for their superb work on road safety and environmental sustainability. They received their award at a prestigious event in London and we congratulate the whole community on their hard work and huge success. Congratulations also goes to Field Lane who recently became a Neurodiversity Champion School. It is inspiring to see both colleagues and parents/carers embracing the journey and working together to learn more about neurodiversity - it truly reflects the spirit of unity and progress. 

   

  It is going to be a fantastic term ahead, filled with many successes and achievements for all.

  

• A week of celebrations

  Mon 31 Mar 2025

  This week we have much to celebrate across our Trust family of schools. Firstly, to everyone celebrating Eid this week, we wish you all; Eid Mubarak. Good health, peace, prosperity and happiness to everyone in our community. 

   

  We are also celebrating the success of Upper Batley High School who visited London last week for the finals of the Modeshift STARS awards. We are absolutely delighted to announce that they won and are now the National Secondary School of the Year 2024/25! Well done to Miss Woods and the UBHS team. The learners were absolutely superb and a real credit to their school, and our community. Keeping everyone safe is a number one priority and their work is superb. 

   

  Finally, we are also celebrating two new schools joining our Trust family from Tuesday 1 April. Purlwell, a Batley infant school, and Hyrstmount, a Batley junior school join us. We are delighted to welcome them to our Trust family and to Team Batley, which continues to go from strength-to-strength in providing a high-quality education for all our young people, and a great place for staff to work. 

  

• Keep Batley Tidy

  Mon 24 Mar 2025

  Our Trust family of schools were delighted to be invited to the launch of Keep Britain Tidy's spring campaign in Heckmondwike, supported by the national Keep Britain Tidy charity and one of our local MPs, Kim Leadbeater MBE. Every school in our Trust family is passionate about supporting and being at the very heart of the Batley community, and our learners are highly proactive in litter picking campaigns across Batley throughout the year (and whatever the weather!). These litter picking campaigns are a key part of our social action work. Our learners and staff teams aim to raise awareness of why it is important not to drop litter in the first place, and how we can all do our bit to make Batley a cleaner, tidier and nicer place to live and work. 

   

  Our schools all have Eco School teams who lead this important environmental work and encourage all members of our community not to drop litter, fly tip or leave dog poo on the streets of Batley. Our goal is to make Batley a place where everyone is proud to live and work. We have some really fantastic, and rather unique, environmental projects in Batley such as; the Batley Barnyard, our horticulture areas in our schools where children learn about where food comes from - 'from farm to fork', our nursery children take part in 'facetime a farmer' with farmer Lucy, and we even have Batley Bees who produce delicious, organic honey and learners can make the most fabulous beeswax candles.

   

  Our learners are highly talented in their environmental work and projects. Together we CAN make a difference. As a great man once said; "we must be the change we want to see in the world."

  

• Keep Batley Tidy

  Mon 17 Mar 2025

  Call to action to: Keep Batley Tidy. 

   

  This week Kirklees is supporting the Keep Britain Tidy campaign to reduce litter on our streets. As part of the Great Big School Clean campaign, our Trust family of schools are supporting new local business, Heeleys, with a pledge to collect at least 100 bags of litter from the streets of Batley on Sunday 23 March. Litter blights our streets and parks across Batley, and all across the UK. It costs the country millions of pounds to clear up every year. Keep Britain Tidy is here to inspire people to eliminate litter now, and for future generations.

   

  This is about more than simply getting people to pick up litter. Keep Britain Tidy aims to change behaviour permanently by spotlighting the problem daily and offering creative solutions. They work with people, businesses, schools, local authorities and government to educate, innovate and inspire - improving the environment on everyone’s doorstep.

   

  Across our Trust family of schools we want to support this important campaign and raise awareness in our town of why it is important not to drop litter in the first place. Our children will be leading the way on this clean up campaign to help keep their streets litter free; for them, their families and anyone who visits Batley to enjoy, and for future generations to come. Let's be proud of our town and keep it looking fantastic each and every day. Batley Brilliance!

  

• Inspirational Women of Batley

  Mon 10 Mar 2025

  This week we would like to celebrate the amazing women who work and study in our Trust family of schools.

   

  Our schools cover a broad age range; from 2 year olds right through to adult education, in our teacher training programmes with the great work of our Yorkshire Rose Teaching Partnership. We describe this as the evolution of education; from the very youngest in our Trust-wide community, to inspiring adults to be lifelong learners.

   

  We are incredibly proud of the brilliant women who work in our Trust family of schools. We have female caretakers, cleaners, leaders, chefs, teachers, social workers, counsellors, accountants, specialists in special educational needs, safeguarding and attendance specialists, accountants, health & safety experts, women in key governance roles, magistrates, marathon runners, artists, scientists, mathematicians, photographers, footballers, and someone training to be a pilot!

   

  Our brilliant women do all of this whilst also being fantastic sisters, friends, mothers, wives, partners, daughters, aunties, grandmas and many even give back to the community by volunteering in local community groups as well.

   

  Our young people cannot be what they cannot see, so having these tremendous women working in our schools demonstrates, to our younger women, that you can be whatever you want to be; with hard work, dedication, determination, commitment and resilience. We can break down those barriers and any perceived gender stereotypes and smash through that glass ceiling.

   

  Batley Brilliance! The Batley Buzz keeps getting louder.

  

• Spring is on its way

  Mon 03 Mar 2025
  Field Lane School recently hosted their annual Batley Breakfast and the 'Batley Buzz' was evident throughout every area of this fantastic school. The morning started with a cardio workout led by the learners, courtesy of Mr Hamilton's Desktop Drumming. Members, Trustees, Governors and staff from across our Trust family of schools eagerly participated and the room was filled with smiles, fun and laughter. What a brilliant and energising way to start the day!

   

  We then heard why Field Lane is so special and how staff ensure learners can achieve, thrive and flourish during their time in this wonderful school. The inspirational Headteacher, Mrs Towers-Islam talked about the importance of being a good person and being kind. For those who have had the pleasure of visiting Field Lane, you will know this is absolutely embedded in the school's culture and part of their modus operandi. Everyone aims to be the best version of themselves each and every day, to always be kind and help and support others. 

   

  Visitors then heard all about the fantastic end of year celebratory reading event that two Field Learners have taken upon themselves to coordinate. Sadly Kirklees Council are not able to run the event this year, which is usually held in Huddersfield Town Hall. Field Lane learners therefore decided that, if the Council are not able to run it, they can! These two inspirational young women are currently planning the event, which will take place at Batley Girls' High School in the summer term, where the exam hall will be transformed into Hogwarts. These Field Lane learners have a fully costed business plan, a reading list and have already started fundraising.

   

  If you would like to purchase any books for schools to support this superb event please follow the link below. You can buy one book, five books or a full class set. It is entirely up to you and your budget. What greater gift to give than the gift of reading! If you would like to support the event, the reading wish-list is available here. 

   

  We were then treated to a tour of the site and saw some fantastic spaces for our young people including; The Sensory Room, The Blossoms room, The Hive, The Busy Bees and The Den. The grand finale of the tour was Early Years where visitors saw a number of learners role playing as enthusiastic vets attending to animals (in the form of teddies!). Treatments included carefully bandaging animals with injuries, issuing prescriptions and administering medicines. The class are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of new chicks who are due to hatch any day now. Spring is definitely on the way!

  

• Every Day Counts

  Mon 24 Feb 2025

  Welcome back! We hope you have enjoyed a lovely half term break. This half term we would like to thank all parents/carers for their hard work in ensuring their children attend school each and every day. In education, Every Day Counts. Our Trust schools achieve great outcomes, and a high-quality education ensures young people have a bright and successful future ahead of them. A great education is a young person's ticket to a great career. This means your child needs to attend school each and every day in order to receive that high-quality education from our expert staff teams. Every Day Counts.

   

  The goal is 100% attendance, as every missed lesson is a missed opportunity for learning. Should your child's attendance fall below 97% then school will be in touch to offer support for you and your child. We know that flights abroad are much cheaper during term time, but every day of missed school impacts negatively on the progress your child can make. We therefore respectfully request that all trips abroad are taken within the 13 weeks of school holidays each year. A flight during term time may be cheaper, but a great education is priceless. Every Day Counts.

   

  We will soon be launching our new attendance video, supported by our local MPs, where our learners explain why they love school and why Every Day Counts. We look forward to celebrating your child's success this summer with great attendance and great outcomes. Thank you to all parents/carers for your support to ensure your child achieves their potential in school. Every Day Counts.