Read all about the latest news and activities happening, and reasons to celebrate our school in the below Headteacher's blog.
The final Headteacher blog of this academic year and yet again we have a week that is packed. The appropriate finale will be the Year 9 graduation, appropriate in that we are the point in the academic year when learners think about KS4 and the subjects they have selected, in a week when a number of staff (including myself) will be attending their own children's university graduations. We know just how significant a date this is for you as parents.
The criteria to graduate is significant and as you would expect focuses on the approach in lessons and attendance. Everyone has had the opportunity to reach these standards, but not all will; a lesson in itself to illustrate the actions needed in KS4. The ceremonies will take place over two days as indicated below :
Graduation Ceremonies:
Note: Graduating learners will have an early lunch from 12:20pm to 12:45pm to get into their gowns. Learners not participating will attend normal lessons.
We look forward to seeing parents and carers there.
Thank you for your support this year.
Gary Kibble
Important Notices for the Holidays
As the holidays approach, learners are reminded of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, and Give.
A comprehensive list of support helplines has been provided for families over the summer break, including:
Yet another action packed week has passed and it is important to highlight the tireless work of staff to make sure a range of activities are organised so well. Following the success of the Year 13 prom we were able to enjoy the Year 11 prom. As always our learners arrived looking very elegant and their conduct throughout the evening was impeccable, all were fantastic ambassadors for the school.
On Tuesday, we saw the largest visit in a number of years leave the school, with 500 learners visiting Alton Towers as a reward for their Brilliance Bucket activities. Central to this was of course good attendance and sadly attendance following the visit was far from good at below 90%. As always we review activities and their success. In this case we responded to learner voice, offered a larger visit, but sadly it did not have the impact we would have liked. We will now focus on smaller, more frequent rewards to encourage and recognise the efforts of learners through the year.
Gary Kibble
Information for Parents & Carers
It was fantastic to invite the parents of our new year 7 intake to school on Thursday to outline the routine for those learners about to join our school community. I was also grateful to members of our Stronger Together Parent Forum who attended to support and talk to our parents about the importance of these events and how to become an active member of this forum. We will share dates of the new forum meetings via the website so please come along if you can. We very much value this group and the impact they have in school.
Despite the hot weather restrictions we were also able to run a smaller ‘Step into the Future Event’ with BGHS learners only. Our local MP Kim Leadbeater attended and was happy to take questions from our learners on a variety of topics. As ever our learners did not disappoint with some tricky questions posed. We are grateful for the time Kim gave up to attend and for the central message she was there to reinforce that “we have more in common than that which divides us.” With cooler weather now forecast we can return to normal uniform and school routines.
Gary Kibble
Information for Parents & Carers
Homework Reminders
Extra-Curricular Enrichment & Key Events
I was fortunate enough to be invited to present at the Pixl National Conference this week, where Amy Wilby and I were able to outline the range of strategies in school to promote our sense of belonging, improve attendance and of course progress. Of course whilst we may have been sharing this information, the work and imperative for this is shared across the school and I am very grateful for the constant dedication of our school leaders at all levels and of course the support of our associate staff to communicate and facilitate these initiatives.
It is this sense of a shared common goal that brings people together to create the sense of community we are constantly striving to have and reinforce. This week was an important week in the ‘More in Common’ calendar with a range of community events planned. Following the Run for Jo on Sunday we have the ‘Batley Bake Off’ held at UBHS and the ‘Step into the Future’ event, which I am delighted BGHS is able to host. BBEST schools will join together to reinforce that central message that “We have more in common than which divides us.” A fantastic way for us to finish this week.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
1. Attendance & The "Brilliance Bucket" Reward Scheme
Please remember that there is a strong link between high attendance and exam achievement. Appointments during school time must be avoided to limit any negative impact on your daughter's progress. Learners earn 20 premium reward points for achieving 100% weekly attendance.
Learners receive 10 points for completing weekly extra-curricular "Brilliance Activities". To log completed tasks and claim bonus rewards (such as chocolates or stickers), learners should visit Mr Scurr in the LRC on Mondays at breaktime.
Reward points accumulate over the school term. Learners who perform in the top 25% are designated as Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum VIPs and become eligible for special prize draws and bonus rewards.
2. School Standards & Expectations
As the weather warms up, form tutors will notify learners when blazers may be removed. However, shirts must remain tucked in at all times. Please ensure your child brings a refillable water bottle to school daily.
3. Extracurricular Opportunities & Reading Awards
To promote literacy across the curriculum, teachers are handing out "Reading Awards" on Class Charts to learners showing exceptional effort toward reading or vocabulary. Each week, five nominated learners (across Years 7–11) are drawn from a reward wheel to win a free book from the school's book vending machine.
4. Personal Development, Character & Wellbeing
Our reward culture is built around cultivating five core values: Character, Creativity, Collaboration, Community, and Connection. Learners are awarded positive points on Class Charts when they demonstrate these traits in class or around school grounds.
This week's curriculum focus celebrates Helen Keller Day (commemorating her birth on June 27, 1880), encouraging learners to reflect on determination, courage, and overcoming educational barriers.
One of my first assemblies delivered in school was about a group of trapeze artists called the “The Flying Wallendas”, who “ flew through the air, … like they were flying”. The key learning point was that nothing is effortless and such exercise requires dedication, self discipline and hours of practice to perfect the routine.
Such dedication and expertise were evident on Thursday 11 June with the performance of Matilda. The first musical performance within school was delivered expertly, with confident accomplished performances throughout. Of course this sort of performance does not happen without hours of rehearsals and the dedication of staff and learners alike. Congratulations to all involved.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
Key Information & Academic Expectations
Rewards, Enrichment & School Clubs
Careers, Digital Skills & Competitions
Personal Development & Culture
You may have heard the old proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." In the world of modern education, that village isn’t just a nice concept—it is an absolute necessity.
Teachers and our associate staff cannot do it alone. Two of the most important ways members of our school community can enhance the educational offer is through active volunteering and collaborative parent forums. When these two elements thrive, schools don't just function—they flourish.
Our Stronger Together Parent Forum meets every half term between 10am and 12 noon and is an invaluable source of support and positive challenge. This has helped us clarify misconceptions and develop policies so that all members of our school community are working together. The latest initiative is to highlight the importance of attendance to discourage parents from taking trips and holidays in school time. We are always keen to see some new faces at our Stronger Together Forum and would welcome as many parents/carers as possible to attend our last meeting this academic year on Tuesday 23 June at 10am. If you are interested in attending please email Miss Aswat on aaswat@batleygirls.co.uk.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
1. Whole-School Initiatives & Announcements
2. Year Group Specific Updates & Leaderboards
3. The 5 Cs Community Positive Points (w/c 02.02.2026)
Learners accumulate positive points on Class Charts by demonstrating the school's core values: Character, Creativity, Collaboration, Community, and Connected.
We are delighted to welcome back staff and learners to school following the half term break. Year 11 and 13 learners are in the middle of their exams and it was perhaps fitting that the citizenship exam should be today as we unveiled our new ‘Book Hub’ boxes in the Learning Resource Centre.
Avid followers of this blog will recall that in April, I outlined the efforts of four of our year 11 learners who presented to Batley Multi Academy Trust Heads to establish a Book Hub so that learners could donate unwanted books for others to take home and keep and of course take some new exciting reading material for themselves. We will be swapping boxes with other Trust schools to try and provide a variety of materials over this half term and beyond. A similar idea had also been championed by our year 9 Kings Trust finalists who also focused on literacy. It is fantastic to see the level of importance our learners have placed on literacy and the simple pleasure associated with reading a good book.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
As we approach the end of our penultimate half term we wish our exam year groups (year 13 and 11) well as they start their study leave at the end of this week. This is always a poignant point in time with learners now seeking to study independently prior to each exam. Of course support remains in school at all times and if you are worried for any reasons please reach out to us.
Attendance continues to be our key area of focus in particular for our year 10 cohort. As parents and careers will recall, we have recently undertaken some learner voice and found that learners who have good attendance (above 98%) commented that they were frustrated at times in lessons where teachers are having to spend time explaining items that others had missed because they had been absent. We know that attendance below 95% means that learners are twice as likely not to achieve a grade 5 in their core subjects of Maths and English. These comments highlight the negative impact on others of poor attendance. Vitally important for our learners in year 10 as they start their final push for those GCSE exams. Please support us and your daughter by encouraging attendance to school every day.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
Gary Kibble
We encourage learners to practice the 5 Ways to Wellbeing daily to stay kind to themselves and others:
Late April and May becomes marathon running weather and we have had a number of staff taking part in both the Leeds and London Marathon and half marathon. Locally the Run for Jo (Jo referring to Jo Cox) will be organised for the tenth and final time. Historically Batley Multi Academy Trust has had a ‘team’ of staff who have participated and this year will be no different. It would be great if for this final event parents from across our school with learners could also be there, to either take part or just cheer people on providing a fitting end to this popular event.
Of course the event is to celebrate Jo’s legacy, someone who worked tirelessly to bring people together with her firm belief that ‘we have more in common that divides us.’ Words that continue to resonate locally and nationally. The event takes place at Oakwell Hall, Sunday 21 June 2026. The day will have a series of stalls and activities for everyone to enjoy with all proceeds going to the More in Common Batley and Spen to support local projects.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
The "Batley Girls’ Brilliance Bucket" program encourages learners to attend school and develop their skills through a tiered reward system:
Following the success of our Batley Brilliance event our year 9 learners went on to finish third in the final of the King’s Trust event, displaying real maturity and eloquence in presenting their business idea. All these opportunities enhance the experience of school for everyone and highlight the importance of good attendance to help develop these skills in order to participate effectively. Please continue to support us in school by encouraging your daughter to attend every day.
We look forward to our penultimate Stronger Together Parents Forum this week. These meetings allow us to work in partnership with our wider school community and enable us to respond to requests and shape our school policies collaboratively. This sort of feedback is invaluable and in line with this we would very much appreciate it if you could take the time to complete a short online survey which can be accessed through this link.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
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