Cardinal Newman Catholic School, Coventry Review 2026: A faith-led 11 to 18 with a campus rebuild underway

A clear sense of purpose runs through this 11 to 18 Catholic secondary in Keresley, Coventry, shaped as much by its pastoral priorities as by its academic expectations. The school’s own language sets the tone, with a focus on aspiration and personal responsibility that shows up in routines, leadership opportunities, and how students talk about school life. The latest official inspection described a calm, orderly climate with positive staff-student relationships, and highlighted strong provision for personal development and reading.

Alongside the day-to-day, there is a significant longer-term story. The school opened in September 1969, and it is now planning a major rebuild with a new teaching building, sports hall, and sixth form centre as part of a redesigned site layout. A recent consultation also set out the intention to align the school’s name with Saint John Henry Newman in line with the planned move into a new building programme.

The Catholic identity is not confined to assemblies or Religious Education; it is presented as a daily frame for expectations, community life, and how the school describes its mission. The school’s published mission statement, Knowledge through the light of faith, is used as a practical guide for how students are encouraged to learn and behave, rather than as a decorative strapline.

Students are given visible responsibility. Formal structures such as a school council, an ambassador programme, and leadership roles are positioned as core to the personal development offer, with an emphasis on students having a meaningful voice in decisions. In the most recent inspection evidence, this links to a strong sense of belonging, and to students describing themselves as listened to.

The school sits within a wider Catholic multi-academy context, which matters for families who want to understand governance and decision-making. Cardinal Newman is part of Holy Cross Catholic Multi Academy Company, formed in September 2019. That shared structure can create consistency across schools in areas such as safeguarding practice, staff development, and inclusion priorities, while still leaving the school’s senior team responsible for the day-to-day culture.

A practical note for the next couple of years is the site redevelopment. The school’s published rebuild information sets out a redesigned layout including a central social and external learning square, a separate sports hall with a sixth form centre, and enhanced pedestrian and cycle access linked to nearby development. For students, the benefit is obvious, improved specialist spaces and a more coherent site plan. For families, the implication is equally clear, expect operational constraints while work progresses, especially around drop-off and pick-up.

Performance sits in the middle 35% of schools in England on the school’s GCSE and A-level ranking bands, which is a helpful reality check for parents trying to separate reputation from outcomes. At GCSE level, progress is a relative strength, with a Progress 8 score of +0.26 indicating students make above-average progress from their starting points.

Ranked 1,792nd in England and 8th in Coventry for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The Attainment 8 score is 49.9. EBacc average point score is 4.18, slightly above the England comparator of 4.08. These figures suggest a broadly solid picture academically, with outcomes that tend to reward steady learning across a range of subjects rather than a narrow, exam-only approach.

Post-16 outcomes are similarly positioned. A-level results show 50.76% of grades at A* to B. For context, the England comparator is 47.2% at A* to B. The proportion at A* to A is 20.61%, against an England comparator of 23.6%.

Ranked 1,133rd in England and 7th in Coventry for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), sixth form performance also sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The practical implication for families is that this is not a sixth form where outcomes rely on a tiny, ultra-select cohort. Instead, the data points to a mainstream sixth form that can deliver strong A* to B performance for a good number of students, while remaining realistic that the very top-end A* to A profile is slightly below the England comparator.

Teaching is described, and evidenced, as planned and systematic. Subject curricula are set out as well sequenced, with staff checking learning routinely and adapting teaching to meet different needs, including for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Reading is positioned as a whole-school priority rather than the territory of one department. Staff training and early identification of students needing support are both highlighted, and the library is presented as an active hub rather than a quiet afterthought. Older students also take on reading-mentor roles, which matters because it turns reading support into a culture statement, not only an intervention.

Day-to-day routines are explicit. Students are expected on site by 8.30am and in class ready to learn by 8.40am, and lessons run to a structured timetable. The implication is straightforward: this is a school that values punctuality and predictable systems, which tends to suit students who work best when expectations are clear and consistently applied.

For many families, the value of a sixth form is shown by what happens at the end of Year 13. In the 2023 to 2024 leaver cohort (91 students), 64% progressed to university. Apprenticeships accounted for 7%, and 16% moved into employment.

For the highest-tariff pathways, the available Oxbridge data indicates a small but tangible pipeline, with two Cambridge applications in the period measured and one student securing a place. The implication is not that Oxbridge is a dominant route, but that the school can support a small number of students through highly competitive processes when individual profiles fit.

The school’s careers programme is described as well developed, and this matters in a mixed-destination sixth form where students may be weighing apprenticeships, sixth form study options, or university routes with different entry requirements. In practice, families should expect guidance that supports multiple credible pathways, rather than a single definition of success.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Coventry City Council, with school-specific oversubscription criteria applied once applications are in. For September 2026 entry, the on-time application window ran from 1 September 2025 to 31 October 2025, with offers issued on 2 March 2026. Open evenings across Coventry secondary schools are typically held in September and October each year.

As a Catholic school, the detail of evidence matters. The school’s published admissions policy makes clear that baptised Catholic applicants need to provide a baptismal certificate as part of the process, and that the school operates within the local authority coordinated scheme. The practical implication is that families should gather documentation early and treat supplementary paperwork as an essential part of the application, not a last-minute add-on.

Demand indicators are more limited than they are for some schools because published application totals for Year 7 are not consistently presented in the same way across all sources. What is clear is that the school describes itself as oversubscribed in its own recruitment and admissions materials, and Coventry’s local authority guidance explicitly warns that popular schools become difficult to access after the closing date.

Parents shortlisting should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check realistic travel times and day-to-day logistics, especially while the rebuild is underway and on-site vehicle access can be constrained at peak times.

Pastoral care is framed as a strength, aligned to the school’s Catholic identity and expressed through structured student support. The inspection evidence describes students as feeling safe and cared for, with bullying described as rare and addressed quickly when it occurs.

SEND support is described as both practical and joined-up. The school’s published SEND information includes a homework club running four nights per week in the library, supported by teaching assistants, alongside targeted interventions and external-agency involvement where needed. The implication for families is that support is designed to sit alongside mainstream learning, not to isolate students from peers.

Attendance expectations are explicit, with clear thresholds and consequences for lateness set out in policy, and a strong message that routines matter. That clarity can be reassuring for families who want consistent boundaries, while also being a cue for students who need help managing organisation and punctuality.

The extracurricular offer is strongest where it connects to leadership, service, and the school’s wider identity. Formal opportunities include student leadership routes such as the ambassador programme and mentoring, with the school council active in contributing to school decisions. A structured “pupil passport” style programme is also referenced in inspection evidence as a way to track and celebrate participation and contribution.

For enrichment with recognised outcomes, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is promoted as part of wider school life. This suits students who benefit from long-term goals, teamwork, and incremental challenge, rather than only short, weekly clubs.

There is also a literacy-facing strand that is more specific than a generic “reading culture”. The library is described as popular, older students act as reading mentors, and student librarians are explicitly referenced in school navigation and student-facing resources.

For younger year groups, transition programming includes distinctive elements, including a Year 7 residential trip described as bushcraft as part of transition materials. The implication is that the school invests in early secondary belonging and confidence, not only in academic baseline assessments.

Students are expected on site by 8.30am, with formal registration and assembly beginning at 8.40am, and the school day ending at 3.10pm on most days; published guidance also notes an earlier finish on Tuesdays.

The school’s published transition guidance is unusually specific about pick-up and site access: vehicle gates open from 2.50pm for collection, with no vehicle access permitted before that time, and families are advised to consider off-site collection due to likely congestion. This matters more than usual while the rebuild continues and space is at a premium.

Term dates are published in a clear format for the current academic year, which helps families planning around inset days and holiday patterns.

• Catholic admissions documentation. The school’s admissions policy requires specific evidence for some applicants, including baptismal certificates for baptised Catholic children. Families need to treat paperwork as a core part of the application process.

• A large campus rebuild. New facilities are planned, but day-to-day logistics can be affected in the interim, including limited space and more constrained drop-off and pick-up arrangements.

• Structured routines suit many, but not all. The day is strongly systematised, with clear expectations for punctuality and behaviour. Students who need a looser, more informal environment may find the structure demanding.

• Strong progress, mid-range overall position. Progress 8 is positive, but the overall ranking band sits in the middle range nationally. Families should read this as a capable mainstream school that improves outcomes for many students, rather than as a results-outlier.

Cardinal Newman Catholic School suits families seeking a faith-led 11 to 18 that combines clear routines, strong pastoral priorities, and meaningful leadership opportunities for students. Academic performance is solid, with above-average progress and a sixth form that supports a range of credible destinations, including university, apprenticeships, and the occasional Oxbridge route. The main decision point is fit: Catholic ethos and admissions documentation are real, and the current rebuild period adds a practical layer to daily logistics. For students who respond well to structure and want a community-centred school experience, it is a persuasive option.