GIVING the individual child the opportunity to shine is the aim of Batley Grammar School.

Headteacher Brigid Tullie and her committed team of staff work hard to ensure each and every one of the school’s 350 students and sixth formers receive the highest possible educational standards and pastoral care.

“We pride ourselves on being a greenhouse rather than an academic hothouse,” said Mrs Tullie, who has been head for the past 12 months and was previously deputy head at the school.

“Our aim is to nurture the individual pupil and focus on what is best for them as students.

Because of our size and our excellent facilities we can give them a full range of opportunities, which gives them confidence, makes them into interesting people and ensures they have a strong empathy towards others.”

Mrs Tullie is proud of her staff who are “prepared to put themselves out” and always go the extra mile to support students.

Pupil-teacher relationships are excellent and small class sizes ensure lots of individual and one-to-one attention.

Consequently academic standards are high with students achieving sometimes two or more grades higher at GCSE than they would have otherwise been expected to.

Around a dozen students currently travel from Huddersfield to attend this selective school with students sitting an 11-plus entrance examination.

Priestley House, which is the junior school of Batley Grammar educates children from age three to 11 and has been in existence for around seven years.

The popular sixth form centre, which opened a new block last year, has around 70 pupils.

Batley Grammar School was formed in 1612 and will be celebrating its 400th year in three years time.

Although forward-thinking, with classrooms well kitted-out with interactive whiteboards, new technology and a well-stocked resource centre and library it retains strong traditions and values.

An extensive range of extra- curricular and community-based activities ensures students can be enriched in a whole range of ways.

Music, drama, the arts, computing, dance as well as a vast range of sports activities ensure there is always something additional for students to do and if there is a different club they would like to form, they are encouraged to do so.

Students spend community placements in local schools and nursing homes and it is also linked to Ponderosa rare breeds centre in Heckmondwike.

A large percentage of students are involved in the Combined Cadet Force (Army and Air Force) with some achieving notable success and winning scholarships to RAF Cranwell.

Students have also achieved success in national maths and young enterprise competitions and the school’s windband and French horn groups also have hit high notes with judges in music festivals.

Year 11 student Alastair Hepworth is the under-16s British schools national road cycling champion. His success as a sportsman is mirrored by the school’s strong sporting tradition.

Global links are also strengthened through links with Shuren school in Yanzhou, China, with around a dozen students staying with host families for between one and three years to improve their English skills and education.

Around a quarter of students benefit from bursaries and the school has an open door policy and encourages visits by families.