Open events at BTE Academy

For a visit today, use Abbeywood Community School’s open events page. It gives the school's own tour information and booking arrangements. The former BTE Academy no longer hosts events.

Before the workshops opened

In March 2013, the new academy building had reached its highest point, but families still had to picture what the school would be like. A contemporary announcement advertised a 15 May open event at the Bristol and Bath Science Park in Emersons Green. It gave prospective families somewhere to meet the team while the New Road building was being finished.

How an academy open evening worked

Once the school was open, its events page listed separate sessions for prospective Year 10 and Year 12 students. An evening started with a presentation by the principal about the timetable and subjects, followed by tours with time to see the building and ask questions. Daytime visits were also advertised. The venue was the academy on New Road, next to City of Bristol College's Advanced Engineering Centre.

The separate sessions reflect a practical difference. A Year 9 pupil was considering a move before GCSEs. A sixth-form applicant was deciding on a particular mix of A levels, engineering qualifications and work experience. The archive's Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 pages describe those choices.

Planning a visit to the successor school

Check the year of entry, the site and the intended age group on Abbeywood's current listing. For engineering, ask which workshop sessions form part of the timetable. For a post-16 programme, ask where each subject is taught and how travel between centres works. The Olympus sixth-form guide explains how the centres fit together.