Upper Batley High School

Upper Batley High School continues to perform well, maintaining a good standard of education since its last inspection in March 2019. The school has made significant strides in supporting the academic and personal development of its pupils. They engage actively in lessons that promote respect for diversity and have excellent attendance supported by strong relationships between staff, students, and families. Despite these strengths, there are areas for improvement in curriculum delivery, particularly in ensuring that learning builds on what pupils already know and allows for more complex skill development.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud to attend the school and feel safe.
• High levels of pupil engagement in their learning.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND and those disadvantaged.
• Strong, respectful interactions observed among pupils and staff.
• Effective identification and support for pupils' reading needs.
• Exceptional provision for pupils at risk of permanent exclusion.
• High levels of attendance facilitated by strong family partnerships.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculums in some subjects do not effectively build on pupils' prior knowledge.
• Time is spent on re-teaching known content, limiting access to complex skills and knowledge.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Upper Batley High School attended 91.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.8% of pupils at Upper Batley High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Upper Batley High School had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.9% of pupils at Upper Batley High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Upper Batley High School received £8,617 and spent £8,203 for each of its 793 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £618,000 (£779 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Batley Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,138 and spending £7,078 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Batley · Kirklees local authority: places and applications

Upper Batley High School is part of Batley Multi Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Batley Grammar School Batley
• Field Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School Batley
• Batley Girls' High School Batley
• Purlwell Infant and Nursery School Batley
• Hyrstmount Junior School Batley
• Healey Junior Infant and Nursery School Batley
• Manorfield Infant and Nursery School Batley

What is Upper Batley High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Upper Batley High School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Upper Batley High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Upper Batley High School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Upper Batley High School have?

Upper Batley High School has 784 pupils on roll.

What age range does Upper Batley High School cover?

Upper Batley High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Upper Batley High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.4, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Upper Batley High School?

Upper Batley High School is at Blenheim Drive, Batley Field Hill, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 0BJ.