Read all about the latest news and activities happening, and reasons to celebrate our school in the below Headteacher's blog.

• Headteacher's Blog - Edition 3

  Mon 03 Nov 2025

  It is great to welcome all learners back to school following the half term break and as you can see there is a lot going on in school in this first week. Attendance remains our priority and for those learners and families who were hit with the recent viruses circulating the area, now is the time to catch up on missed work and push attendance levels back up to the expected successful level of 98%.

   

  We are very much looking forward to welcoming year 13 parents and carers into school on Thursday to meet subject staff and discuss progress, offer advice and review those all important next steps. Following on from this will be our BG6 Open Evening which will take place on Thursday 13 November starting at 16:30. Please come along and look at what we offer in our rapidly expanding BG6 offer. 

   

  The details below highlight information shared with learners this week.

   

  Gary Kibble 

   

  📢 Upcoming Events & Opportunities

   

  • Year 8 Celebration Assembly: This event has been rescheduled for Thursday 6 November (For learners only).
  • Reading Culture Committee Meeting: Learners interested in shaping the school's reading culture are invited to attend the first meeting on Wednesday 5 November at 8:30 AM in the LRC. Interested learners should inform their Form Tutor, who will pass their name onto Mrs. Sawyer.
  • Community Book Group (Years 10-13): The book group will meet on Lunchtime, Thursday 20 November, in the Lecture Theatre. The book this term is 'Songbirds' by Christy Lefteri. Lunch will be provided for attendees.
  • Extra-Curricular Clubs Survey: The school is launching a "Your Clubs, Your Choice" survey to find out what new extra-curricular clubs and activities learners would like to see on offer. This week is Year 8’s chance to complete the survey.

   

  📚 Academic & Attendance Reminders

   

  • Year 9 Progress: Progress grades, Attitude to Learning Scores (ATLS), and reports are currently being collated and will be distributed in the next two weeks.
  • Curriculum (Years 7-9): A reminder for learners to check the daily timetable for the 'ELEVATE' curriculum sessions (look for Week 2 on the timetable).
  • Homework & Class Charts: Homework is set on Class Charts. Failure to submit homework on time or to a high standard will result in a 'Study and Support' (SAS) detention.
    • ICT Access Issues: If learners have a problem with ICT access to complete homework, please contact Mrs. Hendry at mhendry@batleygirls.co.uk.
  • Attendance: The school emphasizes the strong link between attendance and achievement. The school target for attendance is 98%.
    • The 98% Club criteria is 98% attendance or above PLUS 2 or less negative logs.

   

  ⭐ Learner Recognition & Rewards

   

  • Brilliance Points: Learners who have completed extra Brilliant Activities can receive Premium Points from Mr. Scurr at the LRC on Mondays at breaktime.
  • Community Competition: Learners are competing to win Community points for their community groups. The winning community each term will receive a prize.
  • Reading Vending Machine: Learners can win a book from the vending machine by earning a 'reading reward' on Class Charts for showing an excellent attitude/effort towards reading and/or vocabulary. Five learners from Year 7-11 are selected to win each week.

• Headteacher's Blog - Edition 2

  Mon 20 Oct 2025

  Another busy week in school as we approach the end of school. We were delighted to invite Split Second Productions into school for their road safety workshop which year 7 enjoyed. Please support our efforts by parking safely and considerately in the local area. 

   

  We have also held our annual careers fair which was well attended by a range of employers and educators helping our learners think carefully about their next steps. Careers education remains at the heart of what we do and is a real strength for our school.

   

  Illness has been a challenge last week, please encourage your child to return to school as soon as they are able. As highlighted in the information below, attendance to school is the single most important factor determining successful progress in their courses.

   

  The details below highlight information shared with learners this week.

   

  Gary Kibble 

   

  General Notices (All Learners)

   

  School Ethos and Rewards

   

  • The Batley Girls' Brilliance Bucket emphasizes that brilliance starts in the classroom and can lead to future opportunities.
  • Learners are encouraged to achieve 30 positive points this week.
  • The school's positive rewards system is based on the 5 C's (Character Education), rewarding a learner's attitude and attributes as a well-rounded person rather than just academic skill.
    • Creativity: I wonder, curiosity.
    • Connected: I feel emotional literacy.
    • Community: I belong, empathy.
    • Collaboration: I choose, social skills, self-regulation.
    • Character: I am and I can, self-awareness and resilience.
  • Learners with the most points for each 'C' at the end of the half-term will be rewarded.
  • Demonstrating the attributes associated with the 5 C's earns positive points.

   

  Attendance: Attend & Achieve

   

  • There is a strong link between Attendance and Achievement.
  • Data shows that being IN SCHOOL leads to better exam results, greater life choices, and improved earning potential.
  • Punctuality is important: missing 15 minutes of lessons per day is equivalent to 8 school days per year.
  • The school's attendance goal is to aim for 98%.
  • If a problem is affecting your child's attendance, they should discuss it with their group tutor, Achievement Leader, or a teacher for support.

   

  Homework Reminders

   

  • Homework is set on Class Charts. Parents should be able to view tasks and deadlines there.
  • Failure to hand in homework on time and/or to a high standard will result in an H1 (first warning) and a phone call home, with a second chance given.
  • A second failure to hand in homework (even on the extended deadline) to a high standard will result in an H2 (second warning) and a 30-minute detention.
  • If there are ICT access problems for homework completion, please contact Mrs. Hendry at mhendry@batleygirls.co.uk.

   

  Other General Information

  • There is a slight change to the club's schedule. The PE Clubs 2025-2026 schedule includes:
    • Monday: Netball (3 pm-4 pm, Sports Hall) and Mixed Sports (from 3 pm-4 pm) for all years.
    • Tuesday: Football (3 pm-4 pm, Sports Hall) for all years.

   

  Year Group Specific Notices

  Years 10 & 11 Notices

  • Following up from the careers fair, there is information regarding apprenticeships.
  • A key clarification is that although some material suggests applying in November, learners need to wait until after their examinations and apply in the Summer Term for Apprenticeship vacancies.

   

  If you have any further questions about the information contained in this blog, please contact the school.

   

• Headteacher's Blog - Edition 1

  Mon 13 Oct 2025

  This blog provides a summary of key activities, academic updates, and successes that are shared with our learners each week. Thank you to members of our highly successful parents forum who suggested this would be helpful for all parents and carers. Of particular interest this week would be to take the opportunity to talk to your child about the careers fair and the stands they visited including any notes they made. Careers is a very strong aspect of our outstanding personal development provision and our team led by Mrs Sawyer and Mrs Mehat takes a lot of pride in ensuring we have a wide range of providers attending on the day. 

   

  The Brilliance Bucket continues to be a key driver for rewards in school, heavily weighted towards attendance and recognising the benefits of high attendance. Please see the information below regarding points for 100% attendance to school.

   

  Gary Kibble

   

  Key Upcoming Events & Notices

   

  • Careers & Higher Education Fair: The fair will be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, for Years 9, 10, and 11. Learners were advised to prepare by reviewing the shared booklet and preparing questions on entry routes and qualifications.
  • World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) Challenge: Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11) learners were invited to participate in a creative challenge to raise awareness about responsible antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance.
  • Personal Development Focus: The bulletin highlighted World Sight Day (October 9, 2025), with the message to take care of your eyes.

   

  Academic & Curriculum Expectations

   

  • Homework Management:
    • Homework tasks and deadlines are set and viewable on Class Charts. Please ask your child to log in to help them manage their time and review the homework set.
    • Failure to hand in homework on time or to a high standard can result in a 'Study and Support' (SAS) detention.
  • Literacy Expectations: To ensure high standards, all work should show:
    • Dates and titles underlined with a ruler and spelt correctly.
    • Correct use of capital letters, full stops, and punctuation.
    • Corrections made neatly in a purple pen.

   

  Attendance, Rewards, and School Culture

   

  • Attendance & Achievement: There is a strong link between attendance and achievement; attending school regularly can lead to better exam results and earning potential. The school target for attendance is 98%.
  • Brilliance Bucket Points: Learners can earn points weekly:
    • 20 points for 100% attendance.
    • 10 points for completing one Brilliant activity.