Welcome to Post-16 at The Leigh Academy

Welcome to Post-16

Post-16 is a thriving aspect of the life of The Leigh Academy, led by a dedicated team of staff, all sharing the same determination to open doors for the young adults in our care.

We believe that our role is to help you to become the best versions of yourself that you can be and, in so doing, to ensure that you are ready to enter further education, an apprenticeship or employment. 

To make this possible, we provide a choice of 22 courses of study via either the International Baccalaureate Organisation’s Career-related Programme, which is an internationally recognised and valued suite of courses that goes even further in preparing students for the rigours of the next phase of their life, or the T level programme.

Our Post-16 students have dedicated study spaces in Attenborough College that make different kinds of study possible. As a member of our Post-16 you will have pastoral support, via your form tutors and College Student Support Managers, as well as the support of the Director of Post-16 and his team, which includes a full time pastoral worker.  You will also have regular access to careers and further education guidance and we deliver two Post-18 programmes to support you in decision making for the next step in your life: ‘UPP’ (University Preparation Programme) and ‘PEAP’ (Preparing for Employment and Apprenticeships Programme), which combine face to face guidance sessions, visits to higher education and employment fairs and guided support on a dedicated website. This support is enhanced by support staff to deliver tailored careers guidance, connections with employers and one to one support for our most able students who intend to apply to high tariff universities.

Students are timetabled to encourage them to study efficiently, serve in the community, gain work experience and undertake paid part time work. They only have to be on site when they have a timetabled lesson. We believe that this allows our students to achieve a sensible balance between the different aspects of their lives and to develop an open-minded, flexible and adaptable mindset that enables them to embrace challenges positively. We provide all Post-16 students with a free chromebook to use in school and at home, which is loaned to them for the duration of Post-16.

We have high expectations of our Post-16 students and reflect these standards in the concept of being on PARADE throughout their time with us. By this, we mean that we expect excellent PUNCTUALITY, excellent ATTENDANCE, ROLE MODELLING to younger students, a positive ATTITUDE TO LEARNING, compliance with the DRESS CODE and adherence to the principle of EQUALITY.
We really value the contribution that Post-16 students make to the life of the academy and offer them the chance to serve in the Post-16 Student Leadership Team, whereby they can help to guide the direction of provision for students throughout the academy. These positions of responsibility come with great rewards, as well as great responsibilities, and help to prepare our students to be ready for the future.

In everything we do, our mission is simple: to prepare our Post-16 students for their preferred next step as well-rounded, nurtured and aspirational young adults.