Cardinal Newman College

What Cardinal Newman College does

Cardinal Newman College is a Catholic sixth form college located in Preston, Lancashire, England, operating since its formation in 1978 through the merger of Winckley Square Convent School and Preston Catholic College. It serves primarily 16-19 year-old students through A-Levels, BTECs (Level 2 and 3), T-Levels, Foundation Learning, and a Newman Honours enrichment programme, plus a smaller cohort of mature learners on Higher Education and Initial Teacher Training courses. The college holds an Ofsted "Outstanding" rating and self-identifies as the highest-performing sixth form college in the North West.

The college operates a ~£16 million built estate combining a Grade-listed 1797 Lark Hill House with modern facilities added between 2009 and 2025, including St Cecilia, St Augustine's, St Francis, St John Henry, St Raphael Wellbeing Centre, and St Catherine Building. Its technology stack is standard education-sector SaaS: the CEDAR student management portal for applications and timetables, Wisepay for payments, UniFlow for university applications, Unifrog for careers guidance, TES (SchoolCloud) for parent consultations, and Microsoft Teams for enrollment interviews. No proprietary technology or AI capabilities are evidenced.

Revenue mechanics are dominated by government funding for 16-19 education, supplemented by ancillary streams: discounted student bus passes via five regional operators (Stagecoach, Preston Bus, Transdev, Vision Bus, Archway Travel), on-campus catering through branded outlets (The Terrace, Starbucks, Costa, Stack'd Sando, Pranzo Pizza, Hole in the Wall), facility hire via the "We Are Venues" programme to the local community, and tuition from university-level courses. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, recruiting students aged 16-19 through Catholic partner secondary schools, open events (October, November, February), the annual Newman Fest preview event in July, and self-serve online application via CEDAR. The Principal is Nick Burnham, who also chairs the Sixth Form Colleges Association.

Name

Cardinal Newman College

Legal name

Cardinal Newman College

Website

https://cardinalnewman.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cardinal Newman College is a Catholic sixth form college in Preston, Lancashire, delivering A-Levels, BTECs, T-Levels and Higher Education courses to 16-19 year-olds and mature learners under an Ofsted Outstanding rating, with ancillary revenue from catering, venue hire, and transport partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Further Education / Sixth Form College

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Junior Colleges (611210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private/Independent Community & Junior Colleges (EDAHADAB)

Keywords

• Sixth form education
• Further education courses
• A-Level programmes
• Vocational qualifications
• Higher education courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Preston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Education: Core revenue from government funding for 16-19 education programs including A-Levels, BTECs, and T-Levels.
2. Student Transport Passes: Sale of discounted travel passes for local bus services through Wisepay platform.
3. Venue/Facility Hire: Hiring out college facilities (conference rooms, sports halls, theatre, classrooms) to the local community during evenings, weekends, and school holidays through the We Are Venues program.
4. Catering Services: Multiple catering outlets including The Terrace, Starbucks, Costa, Hole in the Wall, Stack'd Sando, and Pranzo Pizza operating throughout the college day.
5. University Courses: Higher education courses including teacher training programs for mature students, generating tuition-based revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cardinal Newman College is a Catholic sixth form college providing post-16 education for students aged 16-19 through A-Levels, BTECs (Level 2 and 3), and T-Levels, supplemented by Foundation Learning, religious education, enrichment activities, and dedicated careers guidance. The college also offers university-level higher education courses and Initial Teacher Training for mature learners, alongside ancillary services including on-campus catering outlets and venue/facility hire to the local community.

Product overview

Cardinal Newman College is a Catholic Sixth Form College offering a unified educational programme centered on A-Levels, BTECs (Level 2 and 3), and T-Levels for 16-19-year-old students. The core academic offerings are supplemented by enrichment through the Newman Enhance programme (including sports), the Newman Honours Programme for high achievers, and Foundation Learning for additional support. The college operates its own CEDAR student management platform for applications and enrollment, integrated with Wisepay for payments. Physical facilities include catering outlets (The Terrace, Starbucks, Costa, Stack'd Sando, Pranzo Pizza, Hole in the Wall), the St Raphael Wellbeing Centre, and the St Catherine Building for digital media courses. The college also offers Higher Education university courses and hires out campus facilities through its We Are Venues programme. Key recent expansions include new buildings in 2022 (St John Henry) and 2025 (St Raphael Wellbeing Centre and St Catherine Building).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• A-Level Courses Three or four A-Level subjects available to students aged 16-19. Entry criteria requires five grade 5s at GCSE.
• BTEC Level 3 Vocational qualifications at Level 3 that can be combined with A-Levels for flexible study programmes. Entry criteria requires five grade 4s at GCSE.
• BTEC Level 2 Foundation-level vocational qualifications for students who need additional support before progressing to Level 3 study.
• T-Levels Technical qualifications including Education & Early Years T-Level delivered in the St John Henry Building.
• Foundation Learning Pre-A-Level preparation programmes for students who require additional academic support and development before progressing to higher-level study.
• Religious Education (RE) Catholic religious education programme fostering community based on respect and trust, including reflections, discussions, meditation, trips, and prayer. No exams or coursework.
• University Courses (Higher Education) Higher education programmes including degree courses and Initial Teacher Training for mature learners seeking university-level qualifications.
• Catering Outlets On-campus food and beverage services including The Terrace (main dining), Starbucks, Costa, Hole in the Wall, Stack'd Sando, and Pranzo Pizza, available to students and visitors throughout the college day.
• We Are Venues - Facility Hire Hiring of college facilities including conference rooms, sports halls, dance studios, theatres, classrooms, and the historic Lark Hill House to the local community during evenings, weekends, and school holidays.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students progress to Russell Group universities and competitive degree apprenticeships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StagecoachcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorService level agreement for student transport. Stagecoach bus passes sold to students at discounted rates through college Wisepay system. Passes valid on commercial network services including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Preston BuscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorService level agreement for student transport. Preston Bus services included in discounted travel pass scheme for college students.
• Transdev (Blackburn Bus Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorService level agreement for student transport. Transdev Service 152 operates with mobile tickets via Transdev Go app. Blackburn Bus Company hotline provides timetables and routes.
• Vision BusminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorService level agreement for student transport. Vision Bus services available to college students via travel passes.
• Archway TravelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorService level agreement for student transport. Archway Travel bus timetables and routes available to college students.
• Diocese of LancastercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Diocese appoints Foundation Governors to the college Governing Body. College maintains Catholic identity and serves students from Catholic partner schools in the diocese.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationCollege uses Microsoft Teams for enrollment interviews and video consultations. Students and staff use Office 365 platform.
• TES (formerly SchoolCloud)coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform used for parent consultation events, allowing parents to book and attend video appointments with teachers.
• UnifrogcoreTechnology or IntegrationCareers platform provided to students for career exploration, university applications, and apprenticeship searches.
• WisepaycoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment platform used for purchasing student transport passes and other college payments.
• BarclaysminorOthersEmployer destination for graduate Izma Malik's degree apprenticeship in Digital Technology Solutions, threat intelligence team.
• BAE SystemsminorOthersEmployer destination for graduate Allen Asa's apprenticeship in Software Engineering. College offers Stratcom Programme introducing students to industry leaders.
• Eric Wright GroupminorOthersConstruction employer offering degree apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying. Graduate Poppi Watson secured position through college work experience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/newman_college
• Xx.com/Newman_College

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cardinal Newman College