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Cardinal Newman College, Preston

Outstanding
Post-16
Further education
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 16–99

Cardinal Newman College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in Preston. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023.

Ofsted
Outstanding (2023)
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Data last updated 27 Oct 2026

Cardinal Newman College in detail

Cardinal Newman College in its own words

From the headteacher's welcome: "Cardinal Newman College is a leading Catholic Sixth Form College in Preston, serving students from across Lancashire and beyond. Consistently ranked amongst the highest performing colleges nationally, we are proud to provide an exceptional academic experience in a welcoming and supportive environment."

Coming up: an open day on Saturday 14 November 2026 at 10am and an open day on Saturday 6 February 2027 at 10am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

All school open days in Lancashire

Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)

Source: The school's own website

Where pupils go next

Of the 2043 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 51% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 23% into work. 20% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 1170 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cardinal Newman College (n1), 150 metres away.

The area around the school

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Cardinal Newman College stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 3rd decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 800 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.

Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Nick Burnham
LA:Lancashire
Phone:01772460181
Address:Lark Hill Road, Preston, PR1 4HD
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 years ago
Outstanding

Overall

Outstanding

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Outstanding

Leadership & Management

Inspected 7 February 2023View full report

Safeguarding: effective

Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable

Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)

URN:130745
UKPRN:10001165
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Preston
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its February 2023 inspection.

Rated Outstanding for

Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.

About

Cardinal Newman College is a Catholic sixth form college close to the centre of Preston, Lancashire, England. The college was graded "outstanding" by Ofsted in February 2023.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a Glance

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Special Measures

Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)

A-Level Results

B

Average grade

39.4

Points per entry

B

Best 3 A-Levels

17%

Achieving AAB+

Above average

Value added

1,439

A-Level students

90%

Retention rate

2024/25 academic year

A-Level Subjects Offered

Mathematics812
Psychology648
Business Studies618
Biology596
Chemistry572
Sociology526
Law270
Physics244
Computer Science214
English Literature198
History194
Economics182
English Language and Literature168
English Language164
Accounting and Finance150
Government and Politics146
Geography144
Physical Education / Sports Studies136
Mathematics (Statistics)130
Media / Film / TV Studies120

+ 18 more subjects

2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students

After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations

After A-Levels (Year 13) - 2,043 students

Continued education54%
Higher education51%
Further education1%
Apprenticeships10%
Employment23%
Not in education/employment10%

2023/24 data

University & Higher Education Destinations

20%

Top-third university

65%

Degree course

72%

Any L4+ destination

6%

Apprenticeships

Based on 1,987 students completing 16-18 study

2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 3 nearby schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with Cardinal Newman College

Getting There

Bus Stops

Cardinal Newman College (N1)
148m · 2 min walk
Tiber Street (opp)
237m · 4 min walk
Queen Street (adj)
299m · 5 min walk
Grimshaw Street (Stand H)
399m · 6 min walk
Frenchwood Avenue (by)
406m · 7 min walk

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
100
Fatal
0
Serious
27
Children hurt
24

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 100 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 27 serious and 73 slight.

24 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 11 in a vehicle or otherwise.

16 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.

The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).

Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.

Can you get into this school?
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Commute and house prices

See commute times and house prices with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Capacity & Demand

Area Demand Pressure - Preston

High pressure
New homes approved:6,347
Projected new pupils:1,142

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Preston

Across Lancashire council

Low demand council-wide0.94 applications per place

Places available

14,702

Applications

13,782

Got 1st preference

87.1%

Got preferred school

97.2%

All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.

Inspection History(5)

7 February 2023
OutstandingReport

Further education and skills inspection

Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
10 February 2011
19 May 2009

Questions parents ask about Cardinal Newman College

What is Cardinal Newman College's Ofsted rating?

Cardinal Newman College was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023.

What is the catchment area for Cardinal Newman College?

No fixed boundary. When Cardinal Newman College is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

How do I apply to Cardinal Newman College?

Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Cardinal Newman College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.

How many road collisions happen near Cardinal Newman College?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 100 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 27 serious and 73 slight. 24 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 11 in a vehicle or otherwise. 16 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).

Where is Cardinal Newman College?

Cardinal Newman College is at Lark Hill Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 4HD.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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