School Chooser

St John Henry Newman Catholic School

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedAcademyRoman Catholic1,435 pupilsSixth formCoventry
School Chooser Score
64
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 54 to 72
Out of 100. Better than 47% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, February 2024
Strong pass in English and maths53%England 46%
Attendance90.9%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families28%About the same as most schools in England
Places64 spare1,435 pupils, 1,499 places
Pupils per teacher20.0School workforce census

St John Henry Newman Catholic School is a converter academy in Coventry for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,435 pupils and room for 1,499. About 28 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 64 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 47% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Sandpits Lane, Keresley, Coventry, CV6 2FR024 7633 2382cncs.schoolMs Emma O'Connor headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 28 February 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

239 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score49.6
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths53%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths71%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.26In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 50.150.120182019: 47.047.020192022: 50.050.020222023: 52.452.420232024: 49.949.920242025: 49.649.62025
Since 2018: -0.5Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320222019†2018†CoventryEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11239249224215207202
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 849.649.952.450.047.050.144.846.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.26+0.51+0.10+0.03+0.33
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths53%56%59%51%53%46%42%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths71%74%73%68%70%72%62%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score4.194.184.474.213.754.113.914.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry17%25%37%26%22%17%34%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged39.242.743.842.934.644.2
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged54.653.655.252.850.552.7
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers32.434.931.418.533.3
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers65.270.569.060.763.2

† These results are for Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Arts and Community College, the school this one replaced in September 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Subjects

Results came out for 21 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Spanish81%grades 9 to 5, England 54%
Computer Science82%grades 9 to 5, England 56% · 249th of 1,861 schools
Media / Film / TV80%grades 9 to 5, England 55% · 53rd of 580 schools
Chemistry100%grades 9 to 5, England 81% · 109th of 2,537 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Music (7% here, 61% across England), Design & Technology (20% here, 50% across England), Food Preparation & Nutrition (24% here, 52% across England), Physical Education (30% here, 56% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
English Language301 entries · 7th of 22 in Coventry
54%England 54%
Mathematics236 entries · 5th of 22 in Coventry
56%England 53%
Religious Studies231 entries · 7th of 14 in Coventry
59%England 60%
English Literature231 entries · 3rd of 22 in Coventry
71%England 58%
Combined Science203 entries · 7th of 22 in Coventry
39%England 36%
Geography135 entries · 2nd of 21 in Coventry
63%England 51%
Business106 entries · 6th of 18 in Coventry
45%England 51%
History92 entries · 14th of 22 in Coventry
45%England 52%
Art and Design65 entries · 1st of 19 in Coventry
71%England 58%
Media / Film / TV45 entries · 1st of 5 in Coventry
80%England 55%
Biology31 entries · 4th of 19 in Coventry
94%England 82%
Design & Technology30 entries · 6th of 7 in Coventry
20%England 50%
Computer Science28 entries · 2nd of 17 in Coventry
82%England 56%
Chemistry28 entries · 2nd of 19 in Coventry
100%England 81%
Physics28 entries · 3rd of 19 in Coventry
100%England 82%
Physical Education20 entries · 5th of 9 in Coventry
30%England 56%
Other Modern Languages20 entries · 1st of 5 in Coventry
90%England 49%
24%England 52%
Spanish16 entries
81%England 54%
Music15 entries
7%England 61%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Language30116%54%68%54%1,446 of 3,210
Mathematics23622%56%74%53%1,172 of 3,211
Religious Studies23135%59%68%60%1,016 of 1,825
English Literature23136%71%82%58%567 of 3,202
Combined Science2039%39%58%36%1,136 of 3,084
Geography13533%63%71%51%700 of 3,116
Business10616%45%65%51%992 of 1,806
History9222%45%59%52%1,945 of 3,126
Art and Design6535%71%89%58%827 of 2,818
Media / Film / TV4538%80%87%55%53 of 580
Biology3171%94%94%82%872 of 2,570
Design & Technology303%20%30%50%1,317 of 1,478
Computer Science2832%82%82%56%249 of 1,861
Chemistry2882%100%100%81%109 of 2,537
Physics2864%100%100%82%238 of 2,546
Physical Education2015%30%40%56%1,338 of 1,559
Other Modern Languages2085%90%90%49%39 of 454
Food Preparation & Nutrition176%24%53%52%
Spanish1638%81%88%54%
Music150%7%47%61%
French838%100%100%60%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

124 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeB-35.7 points per entry
A level progress+0.08Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better20%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished94%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232022
Students12412496113
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry35.6835.1430.9136.95
Average A level gradeB-B-CB-
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS37.5637.5031.0437.74
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects20%11%2%16%
A level progressA level value added+0.08+0.12
Applied general courses: points per entry28.5930.5233.5831.67
T levels: points per entry35.6332.00
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed94%93%10%98%

A level subjects

15 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

Strongest A levels

English Language and Literature92%A* to B, England 47% · 24 entries
English Literature94%A* to B, England 52% · 17 entries
Biology65%A* to B, England 49% · 23 entries
Photography70%A* to B, England 58% · 10 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsMathematics39Law25English Language and Literature24Biology23Business Studies22Psychology22Media / Film / TV Studies20Chemistry19English Literature17Religious Studies16History13Computer Science13Design and Technology (Product Design)10Photography10Physics9
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Mathematics39 entries · 36% A* or A · 97% passed
64%England 60%
Law25 entries · 12% A* or A · 96% passed
52%England 40%
English Language and Literature24 entries · 38% A* or A · 100% passed
92%England 47%
Biology23 entries · 48% A* or A · 100% passed
65%England 49%
Business Studies22 entries · 14% A* or A · 96% passed
36%England 47%
Psychology22 entries · 27% A* or A · 96% passed
55%England 46%
Media / Film / TV Studies20 entries · 5% A* or A · 100% passed
35%England 46%
Chemistry19 entries · 37% A* or A · 95% passed
58%England 53%
English Literature17 entries · 65% A* or A · 100% passed
94%England 52%
Religious Studies16 entries · 19% A* or A · 100% passed
38%England 50%
History13 entries · 46% A* or A · 100% passed
62%England 55%
Computer Science13 entries · 8% A* or A · 92% passed
31%England 46%
Design and Technology (Product Design)10 entries · 0% A* or A · 80% passed
0%England 38%
Photography10 entries · 20% A* or A · 100% passed
70%England 58%
Physics9 entries · 11% A* or A · 100% passed
44%England 51%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
39.254.6
Gap 15.4England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
31%63%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
46.052.7
Gap 6.7England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full1,443 pupils for 1,468 places, 2024/25
98% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Coventry council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll1,435Census January 2026
Places1,49996% full
Pupils from low-income families28%28% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English32%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%257 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%25 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.150 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils30%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)28%£381,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls699 / 736
White British pupils46%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (58), Autistic spectrum disorder (56), language and communications needs (54), emotional and mental health (46), Moderate learning difficulty (39), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (9).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,4351,4481,4811,4241,3831,366
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%28%28%24%22%20%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language32%32%31%30%29%29%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%15%14%13%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance90.9%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school26.3%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils10.32024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission3.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence9.1%9.6%8.6%8.5%4.4%5.5%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.7%6.8%6.1%6.5%3.4%4.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.4%2.8%2.4%2.0%0.9%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence26.3%28.6%25.4%27.4%10.8%14.0%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate10.39.56.37.73.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions14300

† These attendance figures are for Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Arts and Community College, the school this one replaced in September 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 224 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training95%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 88%, compared with 97% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training95%91%95%93%
Education91%86%84%88%
Apprenticeship3%2%8%5%
Work1%2%2%
Not in education, work or training4%5%5%6%

After sixth form

Where the 91 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training87%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 85%, compared with 87% for everyone else.

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training79%England 72%
Top-third universities19%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship7%England 6%
Higher technical course1%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND

Among students from low-income families, 78% went on to degree-level study or training and 11% to a top-third university.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training87%89%94%
Education64%69%62%
Apprenticeship7%6%15%7%
Work17%15%16%
Not in education, work or training11%8%4%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers71.7full-time equivalent, 78 people
Pupils per teacher20.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£58,623
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.52024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,014England £7,965. Total £10m
Income per pupil£7,622England £8,423. Total £11m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,753England £4,444
Money in reserve17%A healthy amount put by: £1.9m, £1,294 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£881kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,014spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m7412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate58 per 1,000 people36% lower than the England average
Typical house price£227,000Coventry

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
President Kennedy School AcademyAcademy0.9 miles1,799Outstanding 202369Compare
Coundon CourtAcademy0.9 miles1,873Report card 202632Compare
Ash Green SchoolAcademy1.8 miles816No overall grade 202520Compare
Barr's Hill SchoolAcademy2.1 miles1,063Outstanding 202477Compare
Eden Girls' School, CoventryFree school2.3 miles600Outstanding 2023100Compare
Foxford Community SchoolAcademy2.5 miles1,078Good 202229Compare
Sidney Stringer AcademyAcademy2.6 miles1,496Good 202325Compare
Lyng Hall SchoolAcademy3.1 miles1,014No overall grade 20247Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St John Henry Newman Catholic School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats47%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 64 is 5 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 69 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St John Henry Newman Catholic School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Blue Coat Church of England School and Music CollegeAcademy3.5 miles1,815Good 202372Compare
Bishop Ullathorne Catholic SchoolAcademy4.3 miles1,155Good 202477Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 64 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 64% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 54 to 72. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%in line
+0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 239 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.10
DfE progress measure; 239 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 1,275 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.00
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 239 pupils
What pupils do next5%above
+0.03
224 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is St John Henry Newman Catholic School a good school?

It is about average. St John Henry Newman Catholic School scores 64 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 47% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 54 to 72, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St John Henry Newman Catholic School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St John Henry Newman Catholic School good at its last full inspection on 28 February 2024.

How good are St John Henry Newman Catholic School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 53% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 49.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does St John Henry Newman Catholic School have?

1,435 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,499 places, so it is 96% full.

Is St John Henry Newman Catholic School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at St John Henry Newman Catholic School?

Pupils were in school 90.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 26% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St John Henry Newman Catholic School?

The average class had 27.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 30% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does St John Henry Newman Catholic School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B-. 15 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Sandpits Lane, Keresley, Coventry, CV6 2FR
Telephone
024 7633 2382
Website
www.cncs.school
Headteacher
Ms Emma O'Connor
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Birmingham
Multi-academy trust
Holy Cross Catholic Multi Academy Company (7 schools)
Local authority
Coventry
Ward
Bablake
Constituency
Coventry North West
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2019 (academy converter)
URN
147346 · LAESTAB 3314707 · UKPRN 10084120
Formerly
Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Arts and Community College

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from