Read all about the latest news and activities happening, and reasons to celebrate our school in the below Headteacher's blog.
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.
We welcomed some of our Governors, Trustees and Members from Batley Multi Academy Trust into school on Thursday 23 April 2026. It was a real privilege to listen to a range of learners deliver their presentations from the Historical Society and The Kings Trust Competition. Refreshments were provided by our food technology learners and reader leaders were able to support the latest escape room in our LRC. A fantastic array of talent.
Talking to year 11 learners it is clear the anticipation of the written GCSE exams. It can be a worrying time for parents keen to support their child. Some useful tips for parents to help are:
1. Monitor one upmanship within friendship groups as others seek to log the amount of hours they have revised. Quality revision, in a quiet room mixing up subjects is key.
2. Encourage your child to prioritise sleep. Working all through the night is more damaging than they think.
3. Focus on the process, not the results. Help manage a quiet space, provide revision materials and help them manage the time.
4. Help them to eat well, avoid high processed sugary foods that will not help concentration.
Source: Times Newspaper
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
Key School Notices & Attendance
- Attendance & Success: The school emphasizes a strong link between high attendance and exam achievement. Parents are encouraged to work with tutors if any issues are affecting a learner's attendance.
- Uniform & Equipment: Learners are reminded that while jumpers are optional in warmer weather, blazers must still be worn in corridors. All learners must arrive prepared with basic equipment like pens and pencils.
Learning & Achievement
- Literacy Expectations: Learners are expected to maintain high presentation standards, including underlining dates and titles, using correct punctuation, and making corrections in purple pen.
- Reading Rewards: Teachers are awarding ‘Reading Awards’ on Class Charts for excellent effort in reading and vocabulary. Five winners from Years 7-11 are chosen weekly to select a book from the school's vending machine.
- Homework Reminders: All homework is set via Class Charts. Failure to meet deadlines or quality standards will result in a ‘Study and Support’ (SAS) detention.
Opportunities & Personal Development
- Eco Committee: An introductory meeting for learners interested in school sustainability will be held this Friday at break time in Room 36.
- Job of the Week: This week’s focus is on becoming a Fire Safety Officer, requiring Grade 4+ in English, Maths, and Science.
- Cultural Awareness: This month’s personal development focus includes learning about Vesak (Buddha Day) and exploring human rights stories from Mozambique.
- After-School Clubs: PE clubs (Volleyball, Taekwondo, Mixed Sports, and Darts) and Key Stage 3 Art Club are currently running.
Learner Shout-Outs (Top Performers)
Each term, the top five learners in each year group for the '5 Cs' (Character, Creativity, Community, Connection, and Collaboration) are entered into a prize draw.
This week's assemblies will be on the theme of resilience and the determination required to overcome any barriers to be successful. This is exemplified by the entrepreneur and author Selina Brown, who has challenged discrimination in the publishing world to self publish her own books to become a preeminent children's author, now with a book deal of her own with Penguin Books. Thanks to these efforts Selina has been nominated for the Queen's reading heroes award.
One of the other nominees is an organisation promoting Bookhubs around the country, where communities can share books with each other. This idea has been taken up by four of our year 11 learners who presented to Batley Multi Academy Trust Heads to establish something similar across Trust schools. We hope this will help enable all children to have access to exciting reading materials at home.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
Career Focus: This week’s "Job of the Week" is a Helicopter Pilot, emphasizing the importance of Maths, English, and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
Following an extended holiday period we are delighted to have returned to school this week ready for the start of a busy term. This is a particularly pressured time for our year 13 and 11 learners as their exam period starts in earnest. On this note we were fortunate to secure the services of a local ‘lifecoach’ who has worked this week with some of our year 11 learners. The focus on recognising that certain aspects of our life can be stressful and how we can develop mechanisms to manage this. Important future life skills, but certainly something to help our learners about to sit external exams.
Of course for our younger year group high attendance (above 95%) is crucial for their success and we continue to be dismayed when families take extended breaks. Please avoid disadvantaging your daughter by taking holidays, visits or appointments in school time. We know that learners double their chances of securing at least a grade 5 or higher in English and Maths if their attendance is above 95%. Please support us and them by encouraging your daughter to be in school every day.
This summary highlights key information for parents from the Batley Girls' High School bulletin for the week of April 13, 2026:
We welcome all learners back this week following the Eid celebration that many of our families will have been enjoying. To help bring our community together in unity and reflect on the rest of the year we will be hosting an Eid Fair for all learners in school. We are grateful for all the hard work of staff who have used their time to help coordinate this event and to local businesses who have supported us with their time and produce.
I know following the success of last year's fair all staff and learners will be looking forward to visiting this and to finishing this half term on a celebratory note. Of course this is also about promoting attendance and coupled with the fair we have the Brilliance Bucket booster points. Attendance is something we need all parents to support as high attendance = high achievement.
The details below highlight information shared with learners this week.
Gary Kibble
Here is a summary of the learner bulletin for the week commencing Monday 23 March 2026, designed for parents:
Key Dates:
Over the past week we have marked two significant days; International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day. While one honors the global achievements of women and the other celebrates the nurturing figures in our personal lives, both are rooted in a shared appreciation for the resilience, courage, and leadership of women, a pertinent message for our learners here at Batley Girls’.
One figure who perfectly embodies the spirit of both International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day is the late Jo Cox. Jo remains a profound inspiration to us all. A global advocate for women’s rights and humanity on the world stage, yet she was also a devoted mother. Her ability to balance a fierce commitment to public service as the MP for Batley and Spen; with the nurturing love of a parent, reminds our learners that they do not have to choose between having a professional impact and a personal legacy—they can lead with both strength and heart.
As we approach the end of this week we would like to wish all members of our community Eid Mubarak and we will look forward to a shared celebration with our learners on Monday 23 March at our Eid Fair.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
Gary Kibble
Whole School Updates
Attendance continues to be our key area of focus and is at the forefront of many of our learners minds as well. Having undertaken some learner voice in school around attendance and reasons for absences, we were surprised by at least one of the comments made. 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. 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
Last week we were notified that a group of year 9’s who had taken part in the Kings Trust Enterprise Challenge had been selected for the finals, competing against five other Yorkshire based schools. We are of course incredibly proud of their achievement, supported by Mrs Casson. This is just another example of the passion and maturity our learners have in these events, consistently making finals and impressing with their thoughtful comments, diligence and desire. Similar success has been achieved in the Historical Society debating competition with one year 11 due to attend the finals and Green Britain Challenge cohort competing this week across our Trust.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
Gary Kibble
Whole School Updates
We are delighted to welcome back learners this week following the half term break. Many of our learners will be observing Ramadan, fasting through the school day. To support this, we have split our dining room facilities to provide a no food space for learners to use. We were also pleased to welcome Moulana Aslam Seedat (Chaplain for the Mid Yorkshire Trust) to school today to talk to our learners about Ramadan and how to manage this with commitments in school and at home.
At the same time we have a number of our learners who are supporting our Parent Forum members as they organise our Eid Fair due to take place on Monday 23 March. If you can support with either time or donations please do contact Mr Laher of Miss Aswat who are coordinating events.
The points below summarise the information shared with learners this week.
Gary Kibble
Attendance and Achievement
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