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

• We are stronger together

  Mon 13 May 2024

  A huge thank you to the parents/carers who regularly attend our Stronger Together parent and carer forum meeting. This is a great opportunity to share and discuss all the brilliant things that take place in school. It is also an opportunity for parents/carers to discuss any ideas or concerns they may have and support the school to further develop. During some of our recent meetings we have discussed various topics such as; our enriched and creative curriculum, our excellent careers' provision, the variety of extracurricular activities on offer, school calendar/holidays, learners’ progress, and much more. The group is very supportive of the school and values the great work staff do in raising learners’ aspirations and ensuring learners make good progress.

   

  This Stronger Together group meets regularly (every half-term) to discuss developments in school and provides us with invaluable feedback to help move the school further forward. As a school we always welcome parent/carer feedback and we'd like you to share your thoughts through our latest parent/carer survey. Click here to complete the survey.
  
  Our school is a fantastic place where young people feel safe and valued, they can learn, develop and flourish under the guidance of our excellent staff team. Join this Stronger Together group and, with your support and involvement, we can continue to make UBHS a brilliant school. 

   

  Our next meeting takes place at 9am on Tuesday 14 May 2024, in the Trust Development Centre (on the UBHS school site). Everyone is welcome!

   

  Mr Aman Singh Kang

  

• Teaching our future leaders

  Tue 07 May 2024

  We are focussed on teaching learners about British Values and striving to be the very best version of ourselves, at all times.
  
  This past week our focus area has been democracy and, although as a school we remain impartial to the political agenda, it is important to educate our learners about democracy and how the election process works.
  
  To showcase democracy in action; learners have been voting for their preferred candidate for our next Head Learner. Their choice has been informed by listening to the address of each candidate during year group assemblies. Similarly, we have been receiving many applications from our School Council learners for the Senior Council Leadership Team posts we recently advertised in school. Successful applicants will bring their ideas forward to Senior Leaders on the staff team, which will enable us to work together on key priorities for school and continue to improve our educational setting.   

   

  We are passionate about growing and developing the young people in our school community so they have the skills to go on and become the leaders of the future.
  
  Below are some examples of the activities that learners get involved in to help to develop their leadership skills.

   

  • Head Learner and Deputy Head Learners
  • School Council
  • School Council Leadership Team
  • Interact group
  • School prefects
  • Year 10 work experience opportunities 
  • Sports Leadership
  • Sports Leadership and Coaching 
  • Responsibilities for the animals in the school barnyard
  • Wellbeing Mentors
  • Community Champions
  • Team Captains

   

  The invaluable experiences our learners gain from participation in the above, and similar activities, truly complements our already enriched curriculum.

   

  Mr Aman Singh Kang

  

• Diversity in the curriculum

  Mon 29 Apr 2024

  Our staff team works extremely hard to plan, design and deliver an enriched curriculum that focuses on raising academic achievement, as well as being relatable to our learners and reflecting their different backgrounds. We base our curriculum around current research, humanitarian values and aim to develop learners’ cultural capital, by building on inclusivity and creating positive learning environments in which our young people can flourish.

   

  In school, equity and equality are fundamental in all we do and our curriculum allows us to deepen learners’ understanding of different cultures, backgrounds, and modern society.

   

  Our young people respect everyone regardless of their differences and beliefs. Learners are encouraged to always portray the very best version of themselves in all their actions. Great examples of our work on diversity are evident across all areas of school. At UBHS, we truly celebrate our differences together. 

   

  Mr Aman Singh Kang

  

• Rewards for excellence

  Mon 22 Apr 2024

  We have high expectations of our learners here and encourage them to always be the very best version of themselves. We expect learners to have a strong work ethic and strive for brilliance. Our brilliant and positive behaviour system rewards learners for making exceptional progress, having brilliant attendance and portraying excellent behaviour at all times. 

   

  Our school culture encourages learners to work hard and our behaviour system rewards learners for always doing the right thing. Our aim is to instill a positive mindset in all our learners, create a ‘can-do’ attitude towards work and develop a constant effort to further improve themselves academically and personally as young people.  

   

  In school, learners receive achievement points for following our SELF principles: 
  S - Support others with their learning
  E - Engage with your own learning
  L - Listen to others; one voice rule
  F - Follow instructions; first time every time

   

  Our rewards system allows learners to exchange their Achievement points for a variety of rewards ranging from a front of queue pass and footballs to trips/visits and gaming consoles.

   

  Mr Aman Singh Kang

  

• Opening doors of opportunity: curriculum

  Mon 15 Apr 2024

  At Upper Batley, we provide learners with the best education possible to enable them to go on to become whoever they want be in the future. We teach our young people essential skills so they become more determined, resilient and creative when they are faced with and/or need to overcome challenges.

   

  Our broad, balanced and well-sequenced curriculum opens doors of opportunity for learners and helps develop them socially and emotionally as well as building on their academic studies. The skills they develop through our creative curriculum equip them to become problem-solvers, deep-thinkers, openminded, and teaches them to use the transferable skills they have learned, effectively.  As well as the traditional academic subjects such as English, Maths and Science, our young people enjoy many of our creative subjects such as Forest School, Horticulture, Barnyard, Food Tech, Creative subjects and much more - the opportunities at Upper Batley are endless. 

   

  Over the coming weeks, Year 9 learners will be selecting their subject options for GCSE. Year 10 gained an insight to the world of work during work experience week and all our year groups participate in mock interviews throughout the course of the year.

   

  Mr Aman Singh Kang

  

• High expectations at all times

  Mon 08 Apr 2024

  At Upper Batley High School we have a fantastic culture which encourages all our learners to have a strong work ethic, great determination and to always strive for brilliance.

   

  Our core values to believe, achieve and succeed encourage learners to be the very best versions of themselves. We set very high standards for learners to follow and work hard to raise aspirations for their futures; providing them with fantastic opportunities for both academic and personal development. Our creative and well-crafted curriculum supports this approach and programmes such as; Skills Builder, Inspire and our extra-curricular activities further enhance this ethos. 

   

  Learners have recently been involved in various events and activities which offer superb opportunities to further develop their skills. These include; the Trust Us careers event, NHS careers education, mock interviews, the Rotary Technology Tournament and Interact Club. Our young people really enjoy these experiences, which help to build their confidence and add a different dimension to their learning.

   

  Mr Aman Singh Kang

  

• High-quality teaching

  Mon 18 Mar 2024

  Our school mission is to effectively educate our learners driven by our school values for all our young people to: Believe - Achieve - Succeed.

   

  This is underpinned by the Trust's vision that; every young person, regardless of their starting point or background, receives a high-quality education, including first class care, guidance and support.

   

  At UBHS our staff team are committed to the above vision and values and strive to provide a safe, inspiring and caring environment in which learners can learn and flourish.

   

  We have highly skilled and talented teachers who know how to get the best from our learners. They work on developing an effective rapport with the young people in their care and work hard on relationships to achieve desired outcomes. A large proportion of our staff are lead practitioners in their subject areas and are experts in their field. As Headteacher, it is a real honour and privilege to work with such an enthusiastic, committed and talented group of people.

   

  All teaching initiatives and interventions we use in school are researched-based with proven high-impact on learners’ progress and attainment. Our work links to research carried out by the Education Endowment Foundation with strategies that have the highest impact used in school. This supports us to achieve great outcomes for all our learners, help them to grow and develop as young people, and be successful in later life.

   

  Mr Aman Singh Kang

  

• Reading really does make a difference

  Mon 11 Mar 2024

  Reading makes a huge difference to young people's educational development and supports them to make progress in their studies.

   

  Research-based evidence suggests that young people who read regularly (20 minutes daily) develop a broader vocabulary, increase their general knowledge and have a better understanding of other cultures. When they read daily this helps to develop their listening, comprehension and communication skills; all of which are essential to their education and future employment. Good habits in reading impact positively on their oracy and extended writing skills and these are vital for young people to progress later in life. 

   

  Here, we are focused on developing learners’ reading skills through a range of programmes and activities across school. This year we have introduced Bedrock and Switch On reading programmes. A high level of reading activities are set by subject areas and during Inspire Tutor Time learners work through literacy focused effective text activities. We also promote reading for pleasure and work hard to create a real love for reading.  

   

  To further promote this approach in our school, we celebrated World Book Day last week, with a range of activities taking place across subjects and displays around school on the theme of Harry Potter. 

   

  How can parents/carers support reading at home? 

  • Encourage your child to read for at least 20 minutes each day
  • Get your child to talk about what they have been reading to test their understanding
  • Listen to your child read out loud and, where possible, read with them
  • Help make your child’s reading experience fun and engaging. 

   

  Reading support for parents/carers:
  If you would like help to improve your reading, please contact our Reception Team and ask for Mrs Scott our Library Manager who will be more than happy to support you.

   

  Mr Aman Singh Kang 

  

• Award for Brilliant Attendance

  Mon 04 Mar 2024

  During the autumn term we were awarded for having excellent school attendance. At UBHS we strive to be the ‘best version’ of ourselves and continue to provide an excellent education to the young people in our care.

   

  We have received some more recognition and another award from the Fischer Family Trust Foundation (FFT) for being in the top 25% of similar secondary schools nationally for our whole school attendance during the autumn term. This award is a real testament to the great work of our Attendance Officer and whole staff team who work tirelessly to ensure learners are in school and accessing great learning each and every day.

   

  Having high attendance speaks high volumes about a school. It highlights that our young people feel happy, safe and enjoy the school environment in which they learn. The care, support and guidance we provide the learners within our community is second to none. 

   

  Mr Aman Singh Kang

  

• Dream Big

  Mon 26 Feb 2024

  At Upper Batley we have created a great culture in which children can flourish and self-develop. We have a truly brilliant staff team who work extremely hard to provide a first-class education, support and guidance to help learners to be the best versions of themselves.

    

  Learners are taught to think creatively and have a growth mind-set, which encourages them to have a ‘can do’ attitude and believe in themselves when facing everyday challenges.
  
  A pivotal part of our role in school is raising the aspirations of all the young people in our care, to create a willingness to learn, further develop their skills, knowledge and understanding, and essentially improve their opportunities in future life.

   

  We have a strong desire to see young people visualise their dream, believe in themselves and then go on to achieve this dream through hard work and determination.