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

• Excellence in Teaching and Learning

  Mon 26 Jan 2026

  John Dewey famously observed that “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” This sentiment captures what we strive for each day at Upper Batley High School- learning that is purposeful, challenging and genuinely transformative for every child.

   

  We place great importance on the quality of teaching across the school. Our committed and highly skilled staff work tirelessly to design lessons that spark curiosity while also demanding careful thought and perseverance. Learning is not passive; learners are encouraged to think hard, explore ideas in depth and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. Through this approach, we aim to nurture children who are motivated, resilient and increasingly confident in working on their own.

   

  Our curriculum is carefully planned to be both creative and rigorous. It equips learners with essential skills that support them not only in their current learning, but also as they move forward into later education and beyond. We want our learners to understand that effort matters, that challenges are valuable, and that success often comes from sustained practice and reflection.

   

  Teaching across the school is underpinned by strong educational research. We deliberately build in opportunities for learners to revisit prior learning, explain their thinking and reflect on what strategies help them succeed. By explicitly teaching children how learning works, we empower them to become more self-aware, thoughtful and independent learners.

   

  A key feature of classroom life is our focus on purposeful independence. Learners are regularly given time to grapple with tasks on their own, without immediate adult support. This expectation encourages perseverance, deepens understanding and helps children recognise that they are capable of overcoming difficulties through careful thinking and determination.

   

  Above all, we believe every child has the potential to excel. By fostering curiosity, encouraging thoughtful questioning and promoting high expectations, we help learners develop confidence in their abilities and ambition for their futures. This is evident in the quality of work produced, the richness of classroom dialogue and the many successes we celebrate together.

   

  Thank you for your ongoing support in helping our learners to aim high, embrace challenges and flourish.

   

  Aman Singh Kang

  

• We have High Expectations at All Times

  Mon 19 Jan 2026

  At our school, our core values; Believe, Achieve, Succeed are at the heart of everything we do. Our positive and ambitious school culture encourages every learner to be the very best version of themselves, each and every day.

   

  Our staff team works hard to build learners’ confidence, develop their essential skills, and support them to grow and flourish, not just in their learning, but in life. We know that high expectations are key to success. We expect learners to have good attendance, 98% (no more than 4 days missed in a year), work hard, behave respectfully, and make the right choices. In return, we are committed to recognising and celebrating those who consistently meet these expectations.

   

  Learners who demonstrate excellent conduct, positive behaviour, strong progress, and good attendance are rewarded in a variety of ways. At the end of each term, we hold our End of Term Rewards Celebrations, where those who have met our high standards are invited to take part in special activities and events. In addition, learners can use their achievement points towards a range of other rewards throughout the year. This approach ensures that effort, commitment, and positive choices are always noticed and valued.

   

  By maintaining high standards and celebrating success, we continue to foster a school culture where every learner is supported, challenged, and encouraged to achieve their very best.
  
  Aman Singh Kang

  

• Why Every Day Counts: Attendance, Achievement and Opportunity

  Mon 12 Jan 2026

  Regular school attendance is one of the strongest predictors of a young person’s success. Being in school every day is not simply about compliance – it is about ensuring learners have full access to teaching, support, routines and relationships that help them thrive academically and personally.

   

  When learners attend consistently, they make stronger progress, retain learning more securely and are better prepared for assessments. Over time, this adds up. Research and national data are clear: learners with higher attendance achieve better GCSE outcomes, opening doors to further education, training and employment. In contrast, lower attendance is closely linked to weaker results, reduced qualifications and, later in life, lower earning potential.

   

  It is important to understand just how quickly learning time can be lost. An attendance rate of 90% means a learner misses the equivalent of half a day every week which is almost 4 full weeks of learning across a school year. These gaps are difficult to close, particularly in subjects where knowledge builds lesson by lesson. Missing even a small amount of learning can leave learners feeling behind, less confident and more likely to disengage.

   

  We are proud to recognise and reward learners who demonstrate commitment to both learning and behaviour. This term, learners who achieve 98% attendance or above and receive one or fewer behaviour points will be invited to take part in our end of term celebration reward events. These events are a way of saying thank you for sustained effort, positive choices and dedication to learning, and we want as many learners as possible to enjoy them.

   

  Excellent attendance is a partnership between home and school. By working together to prioritise daily attendance, we can give every young person the strongest possible chance to succeed in their learning.

   

  Aman Singh Kang

  

• A New Year and a Fresh Start

  Mon 05 Jan 2026

  Happy New Year and a very warm welcome back to all our learners and families. We hope the year has started well for you and that everyone returned refreshed and ready for the term ahead.

   

  It has been wonderful to welcome learners back into school and to see the positive, purposeful atmosphere across our community. Our learners have returned committed, hardworking and with a strong desire to do well, and this has been evident in classrooms, corridors and assemblies. They have quickly re-established routines and are approaching their learning with focus, maturity and ambition.

   

  We began the term with year group assemblies on Monday morning, where we reinforced the school’s high expectations and the importance of always presenting the very best version of ourselves. Looking ahead, we are also pleased to share that next term we will be introducing more Reward Days to celebrate those learners who consistently meet our expectations. Learners with above 98% attendance and low behaviour points will be recognised and rewarded for their commitment and positive choices. We believe it is vital to celebrate success and to acknowledge those who strive to do the right thing every day.

   

  We had an absolutely brilliant 2025, and the start to this year gives us every confidence that we can build on that success. Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Together, we look forward to making 2026 a fantastic year for everyone in our school community.

   

  Aman Singh Kang