Aquinas College

Aquinas College is one of the largest Catholic sixth form colleges in the United Kingdom, serving approximately 1,850 full-time students aged 1619 with a faculty and support staff of roughly 173 full-time equivalent personnel. Founded in 1980 in the premises of a former high school to serve Stockport's Catholic secondary education needs, the colleg... e has expanded significantly from its initial enrollment of 200 students to become one of the country's most over-subscribed institutions, regularly receiving applications from twice as many prospective students as available places. Drawing students from four Catholic partner schoolsthree located in Stockport and one in Buxton, approximately 18 miles awayas well as from numerous other schools across Stockport and neighboring areas, Aquinas College maintains an admissions policy that prioritizes Catholic students, those from Catholic schools, and siblings, with remaining places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis managed through a telephone queueing system since 2006. The college has deliberately maintained a non-selective admissions approach, welcoming all students for whom suitable courses and space are available, a philosophy rooted in the institution's commitment to personal relationships and pastoral care rather than academic selectivity. Despite this comprehensive intake policy, Aquinas College has consistently ranked among the highest-performing colleges in the country since national league tables were introduced, a distinction the institution attributes to its emphasis on individual student support and relational ethos rather than league table performance alone. An Ofsted inspection conducted in October 2008 judged the college outstanding in overall effectiveness, leadership and management, and quality of provision, with inspectors specifically commending the institution's excellent individual support for students. This combination of accessibility, consistent academic excellence, strong pastoral care, and institutional stability has established ...Read More