Cardinal Newman College
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersPreston, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Cardinal Newman College firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Cardinal Newman College industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Cardinal Newman College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Preston
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cardinal Newman College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government-Funded Education: Core revenue from government funding for 16-19 education programs including A-Levels, BTECs, and T-Levels.
- Student Transport Passes: Sale of discounted travel passes for local bus services through Wisepay platform.
- 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.
- 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.
- University Courses: Higher education courses including teacher training programs for mature students, generating tuition-based revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | 16-19 Education (Free) |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Student Transport Passes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cardinal Newman College product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Cardinal Newman College
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cardinal Newman College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
Cardinal Newman College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- StagecoachcoreService 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 BuscoreService level agreement for student transport. Preston Bus services included in discounted travel pass scheme for college students.
- Transdev (Blackburn Bus Company)coreService 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 BusminorService level agreement for student transport. Vision Bus services available to college students via travel passes.
- Archway TravelminorService level agreement for student transport. Archway Travel bus timetables and routes available to college students.
- Diocese of LancastercoreThe Diocese appoints Foundation Governors to the college Governing Body. College maintains Catholic identity and serves students from Catholic partner schools in the diocese.
- MicrosoftcoreCollege uses Microsoft Teams for enrollment interviews and video consultations. Students and staff use Office 365 platform.
- TES (formerly SchoolCloud)coreOnline platform used for parent consultation events, allowing parents to book and attend video appointments with teachers.
- UnifrogcoreCareers platform provided to students for career exploration, university applications, and apprenticeship searches.
- WisepaycorePayment platform used for purchasing student transport passes and other college payments.
- BarclaysminorEmployer destination for graduate Izma Malik's degree apprenticeship in Digital Technology Solutions, threat intelligence team.
- BAE SystemsminorEmployer destination for graduate Allen Asa's apprenticeship in Software Engineering. College offers Stratcom Programme introducing students to industry leaders.
- Eric Wright GroupminorConstruction 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
Cardinal Newman College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cardinal Newman College social profiles
Digital presenceCardinal Newman College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cardinal Newman College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Cardinal Newman College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cardinal Newman College M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cardinal Newman College
What does Cardinal Newman College do?
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.
Is Cardinal Newman College a public or private company?
Cardinal Newman College is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cardinal Newman College founded?
Cardinal Newman College was founded in 1978. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Cardinal Newman College based?
Cardinal Newman College is headquartered in Preston, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Cardinal Newman College make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Government-Funded Education is the primary driver. The others are student Transport Passes, venue/Facility Hire, catering Services and university Courses.
Does Cardinal Newman College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cardinal Newman College.
What industry is Cardinal Newman College in?
Cardinal Newman College's product category is Further Education / Sixth Form College. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHADAB, Private/Independent Community & Junior Colleges. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.