Thank you for your interest in our school. I am keen that you know as much as possible about us before you decide to apply. It is essential that you understand our Gospel Values and share our desire for ‘excellence in all aspects of the curriculum’.
I have been Head teacher of Cardinal Newman for ten years. I was immediately impressed by the staff and pupils of the school. I have continued to be impressed. The staff are dedicated, professional and passionate about learning. The pupils are caring, considerate and hard working. The school community is very friendly and you will feel the Christian ethos of the school as soon as you arrive. Our parents and governors are committed to ensuring that our school goes from strength to strength.
Cardinal Newman Catholic School is an 11-19 school based in Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd. We serve a catchment area that covers RCT and Caerphilly. In 2019 our GCSE results were 80% maths, 88% English, 75% L2+ and 100% L1. Our L1 threshold figure includes 100% of learners achieving a qualification in maths and English. We are a ‘Green School’ under Welsh Government categorisation.
At Cardinal Newman we pride ourselves on being a teaching and learning school. We have an open door policy towards teaching and learning. This applies from NQTs to the Headteacher. All of the SLT teach and there is a standing open invitation to all staff to observe. This open door policy has informed our desire to take this one step further by inviting other schools to observe what we do. We were awarded ‘Hub School’ status by the Central South Consortium in 2014. We run a range of courses and programmes for other schools across South Wales. We are also a Welsh Government New Deal Pioneer School.
At Cardinal Newman we believe that ‘people make the place’. We take great care to recruit the right people, but we also take great care in developing people once they are with us. We place a strong emphasis on CPD and training. We believe in developing everyone to be leaders of learning. We have a strong track record in producing high quality middle and senior leaders.
If you share our aspirations and values I would strongly urge you to apply.