CEO Blog

• 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. 

  

• The most rewarding, engaging and fulfilling job in the world

  Mon 10 Feb 2025

  Last Thursday evening our Yorkshire Rose Teaching Partnership hosted a recruitment drop-in session at Batley Girls' High School for those interested in teacher training to come along for more information, advice and guidance about what their options are and the process involved. As the Trust at the heart of the Batley community we wish to help raise awareness about potential career pathways for the people in our local area. 
  
  The event was organised and facilitated by the brilliant Emma Rodrigues, our Director of the Yorkshire Rose Teaching Partnership. Emma developed this teacher training and CPD arm of our Trust over 10 years ago, and it has been going from strength to strength each and every year since then.

   

  Emma is incredibly passionate and committed to the education profession, and as we always say; 'Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life' (Confucius). Here in Batley we feel teaching is exactly that job!

   

  No two days are ever the same, and there is never a dull moment with a teaching career. Teaching is varied, engaging, fulfilling and interesting. Plus, working with young people is always exciting, enlightening and inspiring! 

   

  The national rhetoric and narrative about teaching never seems very positive, yet there are so many positives we should share more widely. Teaching is the job that ensures young people get the very best start in life. Teachers raise the hopes, dreams and aspirations of young people, and provide the skills, knowledge and resilience needed to make those aspirations achievable. Plus, for teachers themselves, the job is interesting and filled with opportunities for personal and professional growth, such as travel and extracurricular activities, as well as links with industry, business and universities for ongoing professional development; and a good pension when you reach retirement age.

   

  We are looking to recruit people to a teaching pathway who are intelligent, committed and enthusiastic, and who like to think outside the box! Teaching may just be the career for you, and we are the people to train with. Contact us to find out more: erodrigues@batleymat.co.uk

  

• Bringing our community together

  Mon 03 Feb 2025
  Healey School hosted their Intergenerational Great Winter Get Together event last week bringing people together in the community; residents from Charles Jones' Court and a representative from The Kirkwood charity, as well as the families of Healey's school community. The school hall was packed with people of different ages and backgrounds enjoying refreshments, chatting and children playing - there was a lovely Batley buzz in the air! The event was also supported by local businesses who generously donated bhajis and pizza. What a brilliant way for everyone to spend a cold Thursday afternoon in January!

   

  The Great Winter Get Together is all about bringing people together to tackle loneliness, through one connection at a time, and Healey provided the setting for exactly that. Everyone enjoyed a fabulous afternoon tea served by their superb young people, who were taking their roles very seriously and liked interacting with everyone! This annual event provides an opportunity for people from different ages to come together; young people are able to learn from their elders as they hear marvellous stories about their lives, their careers, their families and their hopes and dreams. There are some wonderful stories shared about Batley past and present, with plenty of laughs along the way. This is particularly pertinent as our young people are currently working with the engagement team who are partnering with Kirklees Council on the Batley Regeneration Project. 

   

  One of the beautiful tea sets, used to serve the delicious afternoon tea, was donated last year by a fantastic lady who has lived in Healey for many years. She was so impressed by what the school was doing she donated her china tea set, which had been a wedding gift for her and her husband, along with a wish for it to be used and enjoyed by many generations to come. This is a heart warming example of how these events really do bring people together from across our whole community. 
  
  Community Makes Us and the unity in community is key. 

  

• The power of positive thinking

  Mon 27 Jan 2025
  Last week started with Brew Monday, when our schools focused on bringing people together to build strong and meaningful connections. As we always say in Batley, Community Makes Us, and the unity in community is key.

   

  Batley Grammar School were celebrating their Ofsted inspection, where inspectors commented on the school's strong values. Inspectors praised the quality of education Batley Grammar School provides for all learners, highlighting that “Batley Grammar is a calm and welcoming environment”, with strong shared values of respect, community and resilience, that underpin everything they do. Inspectors saw a wide range of strengths in the school and said; “In lessons, pupils concentrate and work hard,” and “ the curriculum supports the development of a culture of togetherness which is evident across the school.” Inspectors also praised the school's Combined Cadet Force where learners are able to try flying lessons, learn leadership skills and other amazing activities, not usually available in schools. 

   

  Healey holds their Great Winter Get Together this week and we can't wait for that. Last week they were further developing their careers programme with learners visiting a successful local business, Star Coaches. Field Lane held the Speech Stars event which was a wonderful opportunity for young people to engage in discussion and debate about issues pertinent to them, and UBHS are celebrating achieving the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools: Gold Award. UBHS excelled against all eight competencies. Reviewers said; "The school has used the framework and content of the Award to excellent effect to further build and strengthen their previous Gold achievement through the ongoing development of their mental health and wellbeing (MHWB) strategies, structures, and practices." Also; "The holistic curriculum (‘More in Common’) focuses on building confidence, self-awareness and promotes character building and resilience. UBHS has created a values-centric ethos and an environment that is socially, emotionally, and physically rich - where key relationships can thrive and learners feel secure in their learning." They have also been invited to speak at a national conference on mental health later this year. 

   

  Well done Team Batley!

   

  Our Trust family of schools are fantastic places for children to learn and adults to work: Community Makes Us.