Cardinal Newman College

Cardinal Newman College is considering ‘major changes’ to  student timetables.

The sixth form college, which offers a wide range of both A-level and BTEC courses, is proposing the restructure of its current timetable with a proposal of half-days and full days out of college time.

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Students currently attend college from 9am until 4pm Monday-Friday, despite some students only having two lessons per day.

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The college is now in a consultation period regarding its student timetable, and the restructure could suggest a reduction in the ‘trapped time’ students spend in college waiting for lessons, whilst promoting independent learning and opportunities outside of college.

Nick Burnham, principal of Cardinal Newman College, said: “We are considering changing the current college timetable as we are looking to increase the amount of teaching time per subject per week from 4.5hours to 5hours (10% increase).

“The reason is the new reformed A-Levels are more difficult in content and hence we want to respond to this change to ensure our students continue to be as successful as ever.”

Newman College’s Student Union said many students are in support of the changes that were proposed to them in a rough plan, as many students travel to college from outside of Preston.

They said an ‘overwhelming amount of students have expressed support of the proposition with a general trend suggesting it to be ‘convenient’ and making the college ‘more enticing’ to attend from areas further away.

Any changes to the timetable would still enable students to access college facilities, such as the library and computer suites, which would remain open despite the affected timetable.

No timeline has been provided for the changes, and the consultation period is still in its infancy, however the college’s Student Union hinted that the plans would be implemented after the next 2-3 years.

Does your child attend Cardinal Newman College? What do you think about the possible changes to student timetables? Let us know in the comments below