The Batley Buzz November

November 2022 Edition 3

Our children deserve the best. No child left behind - ever. Every school a great school. Creating remarkable people.

Our Trust Vision

Every young person, regardless of their starting point, or background receives a high quality education, including first class care, guidance and support.

Our Infant and Primary News

Reigniting parental engagement

At Manorfield we are currently developing our parental engagement to reach what it was pre-pandemic and encourage our parents/carers back into school.

We have delivered a highly successful parental Read, Write Inc workshop, where all Reception parents were invited into school to meet with Mr Tierney, to learn how to best support their children with their reading at home. We also hosted a soup share event for our Nursery children and parents, where we cooked and shared tomato soup together.

We have lots of exciting plans for the year ahead; classes are opening up for regular parental workshops around our curriculum and how we can support our children to be the best that they can be both at school and at home. We believe in partnership with parents/carers and the important role the family has as the first educator of children.

Supportive space for our ASD children

During October half term we developed our additionally resourced classroom (the ARC). This is a new classroom specifically for our ASD children who now all have an individual work space and there are other areas for adult led and child initiated learning. Our children are enjoying accessing the ARC, working on their individual targets with high levels of very skilled support. Our children deserve the best.

A tremendous downpour did not dampen the spirits of our Key Stage 1 children as they learned some new words to describe fire as part of their Fire of London topic. The marshmallows were an extra treat!

We all need a Helping Hand!

Sally Cooper, our SENDCO, and members of our Helping Hands Group (a support group for parents/carers who have children with additional needs) attended the launch of the Local Offer Live 22 event at The John Smith Stadium.

They were able to meet with the teams and services to get a better understanding of what help is available in Kirklees. We are Stronger Together!

There's no such thing as bad weather!

Crafting with parents/carers and our young people

Last term, the Primary Knit and Natter Club for parents/carers and pupils worked really hard to knit all these beautiful coloured squares for this wonderful BGS blanket!

Thank you to all the parents who knitted and also for sewing the squares together to create this masterpiece.

This term we have moved on to making macrame plant pot holders!

Mrs. Virr and Mrs. Nash warmly welcomed Reception parents to their workshop on how to support reading at home. We had an excellent turn out and look forward to offering more parental workshops to support learning. We are Stronger Together.

‘Lest We Forget’ Year 6 classes walked to the cenotaph in Batley town centre to pay their respects on Remembrance Day. They met MP Kim Leadbeater, Councillor Glenn Lowe and Marine veterans, who then helped Y6 with the finale to their work on WWII.

Our Rainbow Room is an area that has been developed this term to meet the needs of our complex needs children. Other schools are visiting us to see great practice in action! Mrs. Widdop is our SENDCo and leads a team of three other members of staff each morning. Together they work with six children who are progressing brilliantly due to the personalised provision in place.

Our Y6 classes have been enjoying learning about First Aid, as part of their outdoor learning, linked to WWII. Mrs. Patterson leads on our outdoor learning and works with all classes through school on aspects linked to their topic work. You’d be in safe hands with our Y6!

Believe - Achieve - Succeed

Our Secondary News

Student Engagement

We have recently launched a Student Bulletin, full of lots of information tips and advice as well as support for our students. These are shared in tutor groups and the information is tailored so there is specific information relevant to each year group.

Our November Student Survey has also just been circulated. We are encouraging students to complete at break/lunch or home, it should only take about 5-10 minutes. Student voice is so important as it aids collaboration and ensures we are responding to student need.

Cross Country Champs!

Earlier this month, three of our Year 9 students took part in the Kirklees Schools’ Cross Country Championships and Trials 2022/23.

It took place locally at Netherhall Learning Campus and one student came 3rd out of 50, which is a phenomenal achievement and means she goes through to the next round.

This truly embodies one of our Trust values of raising aspirations and being ambitions for all our young people. We wish you lots of luck for the next stage of the trials!

GIGANTUS

Batley Grammar School invites you to their fabulous performance of Gigantus: An evening of Roald Dahl.

Tickets are available from school student reception or can be purchased on the door on the evening of the performance. We hope to see you there!

Fabulous new wall art

We are delighted with the new wall art installed in our Science area, providing students with practical knowledge as well as wonderful graphics of inspirational scientists to both inform

Eco-Committee attend Schools Climate Assembly Science Success

Learners from UBHS along with representatives from Batley Girls' High School and Batley Grammar Schoolattended the Schools' Climate Assembly on Thursday 20 October at King Edward VII School in Sheffield.

Over 1500 learners from across the UK, aged 14-18, came together to debate and hear from different campaigners about climate change.

Speakers included Jocelyn Longdon, Sile Sibanda, Megan McCubbin, Chris Packham and Friends of the Earth.

Learners attended different workshops focussed on the effects of climate change and how to incorporate these into the curriculum, as well as how to be confident in discussing this topic outside of an educational setting.

The day was informative and thought provoking; learners really enjoyed the experience and have taken ideas back to school and the local community, with the aim of limiting the impacts of climate change.

Just before half term, four learners in years 9, 10 and 11 competed in the Royal Society of Chemistry annual Top of the Bench competition.

Our learners came in second place out of 14 state and private schools across Kirklees and we're absolutely thrilled with their fantastic achievement! They had to compete as a group in a written chemistry test and complete a practical where they scored points on accuracy, team working and laboratory skills.

The practical experiment required a great deal of attention to detail and concentration and we were so proud of how well they performed. The organisers also commented on how well they worked together as a team, which is a real testament to UBHS.

Our Sixth Form News

BG6 mock interviews

Earlier this month we held mock interviews with our Year 13 students to help them prepare for future university, apprenticeship or job applications.

A big thank you to University of Huddersfield, University of Bradford, Leeds Trinity University as well as C+K Careers for all their support to enable us to run these valuable sessions.

A fantastic approach from A Level psychologists

For the Yr12s, it’s been a big jump from GCSE to A level;

developing skills from GCSE as well as learning about a new subject. It has been challenging but they have settled in very well and are showing a great work ethic.

On top of their timetabled lessons, the Yr13s support one another by getting together once a week, in small study groups, and improve their psychological knowledge and exam skills.

Year 12 launch

The Brilliant Club is a fantastic opportunity, which 12 of our Year 12 students are undertaking. Working with a PhD tutor to complete a research project in an area of study that really stretches their comfort zone and engages with the realities of university life and study.

The students who attended were fantastic and we look forward to working with them.

Our Curriculum Enrichment

Our family of schools offers a wide range of curriculum enrichment activities. This greatly enhances our young people's educational experience, and also supports their health & wellbeing.

For his fantastic work, engaging young people and families with outdoor learning and gardening at Manorfield and Field Lane. He also built a fabulous Tree House at Manorfield!

Our Staff Super Heroes

For his commitment to and passion for imparting forest school knowledge and education across all Trust schools.

For leading behaviour for learning and excellent transition at UBHS. Year 7 learners have had a brilliant experience to date.

Ben Tierney

For being both proactive and inspirational resulting in the transformation of outdoor learning at Manorfield.

Asif Lorgat

A key process in creating a research culture at Field Lane has been providing the time to discuss and debate the latest research findings. Asif has a pivotal role in encouraging us to be reflective practitioners and consider how the evidence is relevant to our provision.

For supporting the whole BGHS team with IT, and working proactively across the family of schools to help others with IT support.

Liam Clark

Wayne Linney

Gareth Cutler

Our Community Work …

really means a lot to us, and we see our Trust and our schools at the very heart of our community. Community Makes Us and it is the unity in community that matters.

Remembrance across the community

Anti-Bullying Week

It was Anti-Bullying Week 14-18 November, which all of our schools support. An all-important reminder to be kind; no act of kindness can ever be underestimated.

Roses for Peace

Inter Faith Week

Young people from UBHS, Batley Girls’ High School and Batley Grammar School took part in Roses for Peace last week. White roses were handed out with words for peace - this was part of InterFaith Week organised by North Kirklees InterFaith

Many of our young people across our Trust family of schools took part in Remembrance ceremonies and events. We shall remember them. They gave their today so we can enjoy our tomorrow.

We are looking for Governors across the Trust…

Are you interested in a key strategic leadership role?

Governance is all about ensuring we provide the very best education, care, guidance and support for all our young people. No child left behind - ever.

The main charitable aim of our Trust is looking beyond one school, to the whole community and every child.

What's involved?

Attendance at four Local Governing Board meetings each academic year where you will play a strategic leadership role in our schools, including; securing continued improvements and ensuring high standards are achieved and maintained.

Want to know more? Please email Laura Bland at: governance.professional@batleymat.co.uk

Careers work

As a Trust family of schools we provide exciting careers opportunities for all our young people. Two brilliant careers fairs have taken place this half term where young people had the opportunity to talk face-to-face

with post-16 further education and higher education providers, business apprenticeship providers, local employers and the armed forces.

An event has also been held for parents/carers on Labour Market Information for Leeds City Region to enable them to see what jobs are in demand, and the skills required by employers, in the region over the next 5 years.

Our careers provision is a real strength in our Trust family of schools with two of our secondary schools having achieved 100% in all 8 Gatsby Benchmark measures. Well done to those schools on this outstanding achievement.

Our next focus is our mock interview programme where, with the help of our partners (higher education providers and local businesses) our young people experience what it would be like to have an actual interview to aid their personal development. They receive detailed feedback on how they performed and the areas they can improve on in the future. This is an invaluable experience that gives our young people an advantage when applying to college, for apprenticeships and for jobs.

Raising aspirations for all our young people is a key part of our work helping everyone to be the very best version of themselves.

Our wider links

https://bbesthub.uk/About-Us/

https://www.ckteachingschoolhub.org/