Cardinal Newman College Ofsted: faultless Catholic sixth form college retains outstanding rating

Cardinal Newman College was visited by the educational watchdog between February 7 and 10 and rated outstanding across all categories; quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The school, on Lark Hill Road, was given this top rating in its last full inspection in 2009, following a ‘Good’ report in 2005.

What did Ofsted say was particularly good about Cardinal Newman College?​

The report begins: “Students are proud to attend Cardinal Newman Sixth Form College. They are overwhelmingly positive about the education that they receive and the care and support that staff give them during their time at college. Students thrive in the supportive and nurturing environment that leaders and staff have created.”

The students are said to be “an asset to their college”, with "highly positive” attitudes to learning, “very high” attendance, and “exemplary” behaviour. They also “feel valued because teachers take the time to get to know them well” and they “are challenged to question the world around them respectfully while promoting and celebrating difference.”

In turn teachers, “promote and advocate the ‘Newman mindset’” which includes high expectations and aspirations for future life beyond college, with leaders and teachers providing “highly effective careers advice” to help students make well-informed choices about their next steps.

The report added: “Leaders provide an extensive array of activities that help students to develop their wider interests beyond their academic curriculum. Students participate in many clubs and societies such as the debating club and article writing for the Newman Times. Students enjoy overseas trips related to their interests. For example, science, technology and maths students visit the NASA space centre in Orlando, business students visit New York and geographers visit Iceland.”

Meanwhile the curriculum is described as being “ambitious, focused and high-quality”, providing “a broad variety of A-level and vocational programmes to provide progression to university, apprenticeships or employment” and “a highly effective foundation learning programme for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that helps them to achieve in line with their peers and prepares them for their next steps.”

For the ‘Contribution to meeting skills needs’ category, inspectors wrote: “Leaders work effectively with stakeholder partners such as the county council and the local enterprise partnership (LEP) to consider skills shortages. This helps them to provide a curriculum that contributes to meeting local, regional and national skills needs.”

What does Cardinal Newman College need to improve on according to Ofsted?​

Ofsted does not note anything that needs improving.

However in the ‘Contribution to meeting skills needs’ category, inspectors wrote: “curriculum leaders recognise that they could do more to engage with stakeholders to plan the teaching of the curriculum…This is an opportunity that employers told us they would value.”

What does Cardinal Newman College say about their rating?​

Principal Nick Burnham said: "Cardinal Newman College is proud to have been rated as outstanding by Ofsted once again. We were overwhelmed by the positive survey responses from staff, students and parents alike all commenting on the high-quality education and support that we provide. The outcome of the report is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our wonderful staff, students and the wider Newman community, who always go above and beyond."