Batley Grammar School
105%
Capacity
998
Pupils
3.9x
Demand
About Batley Grammar School
Batley Grammar School holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024, with inspectors awarding Good across every graded category including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school’s Progress 8 score, which measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and their GCSEs compared with the national average, sits at -0.22. That places Batley Grammar in the bottom 50 nationally and 19th out of 24 secondary schools in Kirklees, well below the local authority average Progress 8 score of 0.07. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 45.1, and just under half of pupils (45.2%) achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs. A relatively small proportion of pupils (32.5%) entered the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects, and only 5.7% achieved it at grade 5 or above.
Looking more closely at the Progress 8 breakdown, the school’s strongest subject area is maths, where pupils score +0.1 above the national average. English is slightly below at -0.11, while the EBacc subjects and open subjects both show more significant negative scores of -0.24 and -0.48 respectively. The school’s EBacc average point score is 3.94. In its previous Ofsted inspection in 2015, Batley Grammar was also rated Good overall, with leadership and management and sixth-form provision both graded as Good. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils must move elsewhere after Year 11. Parent View responses from 88 families show that 65% would recommend the school, though opinions are notably divided on SEND support: only 32% agreed that children with special educational needs get the support they need, while 64% disagreed.
Batley Grammar is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school for pupils aged 3 to 16, currently educating 998 pupils against a capacity of 950. It is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 516 applications for 133 places, with 112 first-preference applications and 99 first-preference offers. The school offers a wide range of facilities including science labs, music rooms, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a sports hall, and an ICT suite. Sports on offer include football, rugby, netball, rowing, and athletics, while clubs range from debate and orchestra to Young Enterprise and Eco Club. The school’s SEND provisions cover nine areas including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. With 29.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively diverse intake, though families should weigh the mixed academic outcomes and parent feedback carefully against the school’s strong facilities and broad extracurricular offer.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Carlinghow Hill, Batley, Kirklees, WF17 0AD |
| Headteacher | John Hughes |
| Local Authority | Kirklees |
| Number of Pupils | 998 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 29.2% |
| School Capacity | 998 / 950 (105% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
26 Nov 2024Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 12 Jan 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.22)
2057th of 3,141
Nationally
189th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
19th of 24
In Kirklees
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2340%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 141 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)40%
- FE college31%
- Sixth form college17%
- Not sustained6%
- Employment4%
- Apprenticeship1%
93% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Ofsted Parent View
88 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed133
516
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
112 families put this school as their 1st choice (22% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- Asian53.3%
- White British25.6%
- Mixed10.7%
- White (other)2.2%
- Black0.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
10
Total schools
10
Oversubscribed
7
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Batley Grammar School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Carlinghow Hill, Batley
Kirklees, WF17 0AD
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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