Key Information
Contacts
| Contact | Role | |
| Mr Rich Williams | Director of Post 16 | rich.williams@olympustrust.co.uk |
| Miss Sarah Traynor | Deputy Director of Post 16 | sarah.traynor@olympustrust.co.uk |
| Mrs Dionne Callaway | Post 16 Student Support | dionne.callaway@olympustrust.co.uk |
| Mrs Kate Williams | SENCo | kate.williams@olympustrust.co.uk |
Post 16 Academic Mentors
| Dr Gover | Mr I Williams | Miss Clarke and Mrs Stanleigh |
| Mr Clay | Mr Tulodziecki and Mrs Griffiths |
Term Dates and INSET Days
School Day
Key Dates
Attendance
At Post 16, we expect every student to demonstrate a professional attitude towards their studies by aiming for 100% attendance. Every lesson matters, and attending consistently is one of the most important factors in achieving success. High attendance is not simply about being present; it is about engaging fully with learning, building positive habits, and developing the resilience and commitment that will be expected by universities, employers and apprenticeship providers. Research consistently shows a strong link between attendance and academic achievement, with students who attend regularly achieving better outcomes and being more likely to reach their full potential.
Attendance is particularly important in Post 16 because of the structure and pace of learning. Many subjects are taught through double and triple lessons, meaning that a single absence can result in several hours of missed teaching, independent study guidance, practical work or assessment preparation. Unlike earlier stages of education, Post 16 courses cover significant amounts of content in each lesson, making it much more difficult to catch up after an absence. Missing one lesson can mean missing an entire topic, putting additional pressure on both the student and their teachers. For this reason, we expect students to prioritise attendance, arrive punctually, and recognise that every lesson contributes directly to their success and future aspirations.
Teachers take registers on an individual lesson basis and careful records are kept. Absences that are not acceptable include:
- Holidays - Year 13 Students and parents/carers should avoid booking holidays until after the final exam contingency date set by the exam board. This is typically the last week in June.
- Part-time work
- Leisure activities
- Driving lessons
- Events such as birthdays or music festivals
- Medical and dental appointments that are routine and could reasonably be made outside of lessons
Reporting Absence in Post 16
Communication
We communicate with you in several key ways:
- Google Classroom
- Assembly
Please check Google Classroom and your school email regularly so that you do not miss out on important information, including events and teacher absence. The Google Classroom app is available for iOS and Android.
As outlined in the absence section, you are expected to communicate with your teachers when you are absent to let them know and catch up on any work missed.
Site Security
Your safeguarding is our top priority and the Abbeywood site, including the Engineering Centre, is designed and supported by procedures and processes to keep everyone safe. There are several actions you need to take to play your role:
- Wear your lanyard and ID badge at all times - this shows that you are a student at Abbeywood. You may be refused access to the building without it here, and at other Olympus centres. The ID card also gives you access to various gates and rooms.
- Sign in to the building when you arrive and sign out when you leave. This ensures we have an accurate record of who is in the building.
- Do not allow others to tailgate behind you into the building.
- Report anyone that you do not recognise to a member of staff.
Bursary
The government has setup a bursary fund to help young people facing financial hardship with some of the costs of their learning (eg books and equipment) and enable them to continue in full time education. There are currently two types of bursary available to young people, aged 16-19, with their own criteria.
Click here to visit our dedicate Post 16 bursary page, which provides more details information and application forms. For students moving into Year 13 and already in receipt of the bursary, please email one of the Post 16 team to confirm that you still qualify.
Travel to other Olympus Centres
One of the strengths of our offer is that is gives students the option to study over 70 high-quality courses, across our 3 Post 16 centres. Where this is the case, we offer free transport at several times during the school day on Tuesdays and Thursdays - the only two days where students may student at another centre.
