Our Aspire Academy will nurture your abilities by giving you challenges that you would not ordinarily face in your A-Level or BTEC curriculum. We want to inspire you to go above and beyond your current studies to make successful applications to the most competitive universities and to prepare you for life beyond college. You will be prepared for the rigorous application, testing and interview process of the country’s most respected universities and engaged socially and ready to make a difference. 

The Aspire Academy is a year round programme, giving you the very best master-classes and guest speakers from a range of different backgrounds and disciplines. Our Aspire students have had guest speakers and Q and A sessions with the following: Brighton and Hove MPs Paul Barber- CEO of Brighton and Hove Albion Caroline Norris- The Creator of ‘Horrible Histories’ Steve Bassam (Member of the House of Lords) Paul Samuels (Executive Vice-President AEG Global) Allison Ferns (BBC Radio Presenter) Air Marshall Sir Stephen John Hillier (Former Chief of the Royal Air Force) The students have also had ‘master-classes’ in different subject areas (for example law and legislation), and have led groups of younger students in Years 9 and 10.

The Art and Photography Academy is a fortnightly programme that will give you access to a creative world beyond Newman College and its classroom walls. Our art and photography academies support the broadening of your cultural awareness through workshops with local artists, visiting galleries and exhibitions and having technical workshops to expand your skills base. You will get to use your skills to work with other students giving you a strong personal sense of achievement as well as lots to feed into your future academic and work applications. 

You will learn new skills and begin your journey on a creative career path, with guidance from professional creative practitioners. It will run alongside your Creative Arts A-level and BTEC studies.

‘Bridge is utterly compulsive once it has got hold of you. It isn’t too hard to learn and the joy is that you can play it and actually start enjoying it before you get very good. You can take it on at any level that you want.The big problem is that very soon after you start you want to be brilliant.’ Alex James Bridge academy is a weekly programme that offers students the opportunity to learn this fascinating, tactical game. In 2024 Newman students competed in national competitions against other colleges, topping the league for online matches and taking home trophies for face to face tournaments.

Bridge will develop your cognitive skills, memory, visualisation and sequencing, thus improving exam technique and critical thinking skills. It offers social stimulation and the chance to compete against other enthusiasts and is an excellent extra curricular skill favoured by universities as it shows dedication and logical thought. It's also great fun!

The Newman Dance Academy is a pre-professional dance company who aims to develop you as a dancer as well as create a dance community. We offer a variety of opportunities for performance, choreography and leadership through technique sessions, company rehearsals, creative workshops and sessions with a variety of external professional artists. We aim to help you grow as a dancer, with many of our alumni heading on to professional training but with some simply sharing in their passion for dance whilst focusing more on health and enjoyment. 

Whatever your motivations, the Dance Academy is a nurturing dance community that allows you to thrive as dance practitioners and people.

Develop your drama skills alongside your academic A-level Drama & Theatre Course. The Drama Academy acts as a theatre company and works on a project throughout the year. Our students work together to create and perform a play aimed at a target audience. As well as opportunities to develop your acting skills, we also provide opportunities for you to develop your skills in directing, theatre design and theatre management.

Grow your understanding of graphic design through exciting, tailored workshops, offering you the chance to learn new skills to help build a strong portfolio. Each session will focus on a different skill from bookmaking, to Photoshop, to printmaking and more. These sessions follow student engagement so if there are sessions you’d like to do or a gap you have noticed in your portfolio, come along and we can make them happen. Sessions around how to develop and present a strong portfolio will also be available to aid in the application to a university degree or career in graphic design. 

The Graphics Academy is a year-round, three term programme giving you opportunities and experiences to gain new skills or expand and develop your existing skills within the world of graphic design. The Academy consists of two hours of timetabled sessions a fortnight alongside your other subjects.

The Maths Academy’s results consistently put it in the top 1% of the country including a 100% pass rate. There are currently many former Academy students studying at Oxbridge and other top universities. The aim of the Mathematics Academy is to support and encourage the study of Mathematics into post-16 education and to create a community within Newman College with academic excellence at its core. All students who study A-level Mathematics or Further Mathematics are automatically part of the Academy and will benefit from exceptional teaching by specialists in both pure and applied Mathematics. 

Students benefit from leadership opportunities within the school - supporting lessons and running enrichment sessions and helping inspire the next generation of mathematicians.

The Newman Music Academy offers you the opportunity to develop your performance, composition and music production skills alongside your academic A-level and BTEC studies. Music Academy students from Newman have gained scholarships to Music Conservatoires and Organ and Choral scholarships at Oxford University. Academy students can take part in an extensive programme of termly performance, composition and music production workshops led by our Music teachers and special guests from musicians working in the music industry. 

All members of the Music Academy are invited to join our Sixth Form Band and Chamber Choir and have extra opportunities to perform in our exciting programme of concerts throughout the year. Students are welcome to participate as much or as little as they wish in our Academy and can follow their own passion, including to completed their own Extended Project Qualification A Level if they wish.

The Newman Textiles Academy is a full and exciting programme that offers you opportunities to learn new skills and be inspired by people working and studying within the creative industries. The programme is suitable for students who are looking to pursue a career as a maker, textile artist, or one of the many specialist career strands within the industry. It is suitable if you are planning on studying an art-based course at a higher or degree level and would like to build up a portfolio of work to take to interviews. Many people say that sewing and textile work is really good for their mental health and having this creative outlet allows them to have a good balance alongside more academic subjects. 

The Textiles Academy is a year-round three term programme giving you opportunities and experiences to gain new skills or expand and develop your existing skills within this subject area. The Academy consists of two hours of timetabled sessions a fortnight alongside your other subjects but it is highly likely you would need to put in extra hours of your own time in order to finish individual projects.

Improve your athletic ability and gain an understanding of all aspects of training. We look at the theory behind reaching peak performance and the steps an athlete takes to lead a healthy lifestyle and enhance their progression. We meet at Withdean once a week to train. For four hours a week, students in the academy will experience coaching in their own event(s), and events that they may not have considered before. 

Throughout the year we aim to compete as a team, as well as entering school competitions and open meetings as individuals, to gain entry into county and national competitions such as English Schools. The Newman athletics team competes in the local independent schools Diamond league- the only state school to compete. We now hold records in discus, 800, 1500 and we have the 4x100m relay record, as well as a new record for long jump!

Newman College Basketball Academy launched last year and is excited to build on progress so far. This year the squad will compete in the CBL league. Our focus will be on providing an environment where students can work hard, learn new and improve existing skills, in a positive and supportive environment. Students will be involved in an intensive, focused weekly training programme, strength & conditioning sessions and fixtures alongside their academic studies. Opportunities for small groups or 1-to-1 sessions are available for the students to access. 

The academy is led by Joshua Clarke (Level 2 coach), who has experience of coaching grassroots to NBL D1 players/teams. Currently coaching Worthing Thunder 18 prem and an Aspire Pathway coach. We have created an environment that develops the individual, establishes a strong team ethos and looks to create ongoing pathways through clubs, university etc.

The aim of the Cricket Academy is to provide young aspiring cricketers with the opportunity to access a high level coaching program, delivered in a high performance environment which is focussed on developing the individual player as well as improving the teams performance. Our philosophy at the Cricket Academy is to create an environment where players can thrive. This is an environment that allows players to play freely, attempting newly learned skills and concepts. Mistakes are not judged as negatives but are seen as opportunities to improve. Players are encouraged to explore, develop and learn through practices that replicate the game with maximum ball contact time. It is crucial that we equip the players with refined technical and tactical information to handle various realistic match situations. Ultimately, it is up to the players to be the decision-makers on the pitch. 

Mentorship - We aim to develop the whole person, supporting you outside of cricket too, setting us apart from other programmes. 

Player Profiles and Individual Training - Each player will have access to their own individual folder: 

• Player questionnaire

• Video and technical analysis 

• Goals and Targets

• Player Reports Physical program/nutrition/recovery sheets

Newman College competes at the highest levels of English Schools’ Football, participating in both the ESFA U'18 Super League National Cup (We are the current National Champions 2025), AOC U'19 National Cup, SSFA U'19 County Cup and League competitions, plus many exhibition games against professional academies. We currently have five senior teams (four male and one female) and believe it is important to allow all players, whatever their ability, the chance to flourish in a fully integrated fixture programme. A schedule will consist of two training sessions per week and a match, using Newman's new 4G pitch and Newman’s excellent new gym facility. With a focus on combining full time football with full time education, we aim to help you build the experience and qualifications you need to stand out from the competition when starting your career in football or other pathways. 

Some of the key features include:

• Timetabled coaching sessions with UEFA 'A' Licensed qualified coaches

• Match day and training kits

• Specialist and personalised one to one coaching

• Bi-Annual Academy Tour

• External guest speakers – Sports Psychologists, Nutritionists, Pathways into Football

• USA Scholarships

• The opportunity to gain coaching and officiating qualifications and play in a range of different competitions suited for all abilities.

The Newman Golf Academy is for players of all levels who have a desire to improve. The academy is open to any player with an official handicap and who is already a member of a golf club. The course is delivered over three terms in partnership with Brighton and Hove Golf Club through their PGA Qualified coaching team. Students will be given individual programmes of playing and training that aim to develop the technical, physical, tactical and mental components of their game. 

They will have access to the following coaching and support facilities: 

• Golf simulator tuition

• Golf specific fitness room and instruction

• Driving range and on course coaching.

Newman College is delighted to offer aspiring and talented netball players an advanced netball programme. Our expert coaches, elite training programs and supportive team culture empower players of all backgrounds to rise, compete and succeed on and off the court. Students will enjoy an intensive and focused weekly programme of netball training and match play sessions alongside their academic studies, including netball specific strength and conditioning, technical and tactical development. The Netball Academy is suitable for committed players with experience of competitive netball looking to continue their development in a performance environment with pathways into local, regional and national league competitions. 

The academy benefits from experienced coaches such as Mrs Letitia Nicoll, who is Sussex Performance Lead and also Head Coach for Sussex Netball Club. Mrs Nicoll is one of very few coaches in the UK to hold the Level 3 coaching qualification. Mrs Nicoll also still plays in the national league travelling across the UK at weekends. Mrs Parry is a passionate netball coach also ensuring pastoral needs are met for the academy students as well as their full potential on the court. She is Head of Netball for Newman Academy across Years 7-13 as well as organiser of the Brighton and Hove schools league and organiser of the College Sussex League.

The Rugby Academy was created to allow students to develop themselves and play a high standard of rugby alongside normal academic courses. It is an all year round (three term) programme that trains within all 3 codes of rugby (Union, 7's and Rugby League). The programme offers multiple different training types, from normal field training, individual positional crafts, video analysis, grappling for rugby, strength and conditioning, rehab sessions, physio, nutrition and lifestyle. It is as much a mentorship programme as it is rugby. Our facilities include two strength and conditioning gyms and a floodlit 4g pitch. We have created an environment that develops high playing levels and understanding, establishes a strong team environment for like-minded individuals and creates ongoing pathways, such as university scholarships and big clubs. 

Newman Rugby Academy has now been running for 10 years and we are delighted to be 4 x National Premiership title winners, 5 x 15's National cups (3 boys & 2 Girls), 1 x National Rugby League final, and Girls Rosslyn Park 7's Cup Winners twice in a row. We are the only school to ever be in both the Rugby Union and Rugby League National Finals in the same year. We have a formal contract with Harlequins (boys rugby) and Ealing Trailfinders (girls rugby) as a feeder school. We will be representing them in the ACE competitions for both the boys and the girls. 

We have a variety of rugby pathways our students go onto follow, these include professional rugby, university scholarships, gap years in Australia and New Zealand, coaching and strength and conditioning careers. All this makes us likely the most unique rugby school we know of.

Newman College is excited to invite students to our successful Swimming Academy. The college will provide squad style coaching sessions and strength and conditioning provision to aid those already maintaining a high training schedule outside of school hours, whilst potentially uncovering some hidden gems within the school that are not currently competing regularly in the sport. We aim to provide students with an environment to work hard, learn new skills and improve on existing ones, whilst promoting a positive, empowering environment. 

The academy will be led by Matt Naunton, a Swim England qualified coach with experience in competitive swimming of all levels and ages. Matt uses his experience in swimming and his knowledge from his MSc in Strength and Conditioning to improve and motivate students joining this program. An education sector competitive schedule will allow those in the academy to compete regularly under the Newman banner. From local school duel galas to national school swim meets, there will be plenty of opportunities for a variety of standards to compete amongst their peers. 

Whilst the primary aim of this is to create a new College Academy, we envision a provision of opportunity throughout the school to compete and inspire the future cohorts to Newman College.

Future Medics is a new course designed to support students who are thinking of applying to Medical School. The course will help students to develop the skills, attributes and knowledge needed to make the most competitive application possible, including support with preparation for admissions tests and medical interviews. Students will learn about the role of a doctor, the structure of the NHS and current issues in healthcare. 

They will also benefit from a programme of enrichment opportunities that will enhance their applications. Cardinal Newman has recently become a hub school for Brighton and Sussex Medical School's outreach program, through which we will be hosting interactive sessions run by BSMS that are designed to support aspiring medical students through the application process.

We look at preparing students who want to apply for degrees such as Biochemistry, Life Sciences and Biology at competitive universities. Again we look at opportunities for wider reading, sharing books and articles and discussing them. 

We also look at online courses such as ‘Future Learn’ and several students have successfully entered the Biology Olympiad. Previous students now reading these degrees have offered Personal Statement clinics and help and we arrange mock interviews from outside of school. 

We love supporting our most ambitious students in this way and it is a goal of ours to ensure everyone who wants to apply for these courses is given the best individual support possible.

The Step Up Programme is designed for students who intend to apply to Oxford, Cambridge or any course of Higher Education for which there is a competitive entry process, such as Medicine. Students should be on course to gain A*/A grades at A-level across their subjects in order to be considered for this programme. 

The programme is devised by New College, Oxford and is designed to inspire state school students to recognise Oxford as a realistic and achievable option, and ensure they are fully equipped and effectively supported to make a competitive application. Students have regular, consistent contact with New College's Outreach Team over their time with us. 

This not only allows us to work with New College to support students across the university application process, but also helps to make applying less intimidating and more achievable. At present we offer a blended approach to the Step Up programme, with opportunities offered online and digitally as well as in person.