Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Coventry

Ofsted's report card from its 14 April 2026 inspection grades Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School on 7 areas: 5 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Leaders have worked effectively over the last three years to improve pupils' achievement."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have worked effectively to improve pupils' attendance."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders work effectively to identify and meet the needs of pupils who have barriers to their learning."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have a very clear vision for the development of provision aligned to the school's values of knowledge, ambition, resilience and respect."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a comprehensive and coherently planned personal development programme."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of the curriculum and teaching across subjects is too variable."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "Over time, students' achievement in A-level subjects has been significantly below the national average."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects is well sequenced and sets out clearly the key knowledge and skills pupils should learn and remember"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers effectively check pupils' understanding of the key knowledge they are expected to secure and use this information purposefully to identify and address any gaps, errors or misconceptions in pupils' knowledge"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers implement the agreed adaptations to activities for pupils with barriers to their learning systematically and effectively"; "Leaders should further develop their work for students studying A-level courses in the sixth form to ensure they achieve highly".

In its own words: "At Cardinal Wiseman School, we teach the importance of British values within a broader framework of Catholic values, drawing on the example of Jesus and his welcome inclusion of all. British Values permeate through everything we do at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Post 16 education is about helping students develop into young adults ready for the next life stage. For this reason, it is vital that students are given the best sixth form experience possible. We set high standards in terms of student conduct and effort and expect our students to be the best they can be in all areas."

In 2026, pupils at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.5 in Coventry and 47 across England.

40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Coventry and 47% in England.

That is down from 46.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.05: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 35.9, against 44.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 153 families put Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School as their first choice and 355 named it as one of their preferences, for 199 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School are Grace Academy Coventry (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42); Seva School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 35.1); Lyng Hall School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 34.4); and Caludon Castle School (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.2).

Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School is one of 8 schools run by The Romero Catholic Academy, an academy trust.

Of the 220 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 33% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 100 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 54% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 19% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

36.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 51.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (31%), Black (31%) and Asian (16%).

In 2026, 236 pupils (16.8%) received SEN support and 31 (2.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.

The nearest railway station is Coventry Arena Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cardinal Wiseman School (opposite), 70 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School issued 248 suspensions, 17.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School are Moat House Primary School (0.3 miles), Potters Green Primary School (0.3 miles), St Patrick's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles) and Whittle Academy (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.