Ex-director of Britain's top A-level school admits stealing £5million from the £70,000-a-year private college as his 'tiger mum' wife prepares to face trial

Published: 10:45 EDT, 30 September 2026 | Updated: 11:03 EDT, 30 September 2026 The ex-director of Britain's top school for A-level results has admitted stealing £5million from the private college as his 'tiger mum' wife prepares to face trial.Nadeem Sarwar, 50, was acting as a director and trustee at Cardiff Sixth Form College set up by his wife Yasmin Sarwar, 48, at the time of the offences.A self-confessed 'tiger mum,' Mrs Sarwar opened the £70,000-a-year school in 2004 and since then it has risen up the rankings above illustrious Rugby and Marlborough schools with pupils travelling from all over the world to take A-levels. Now, Sarwar has pleaded guilty to stealing a total of not less than £5million between February 19, 2008 and October 31, 2016.Colleague Ragu Sivapalan, 41, pleaded guilty to causing an auditor's report on a company's annual accounts to include misleading, false or deceptive information between January 2013 and July 2016.Sarwar, of Pentwyn, Cardiff, and Sivapalan, of Penylan, Cardiff, both entered guilty pleas at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.Judge Celia Hughes told Sarwar there was a 'substantial chance' he would be going to prison before granting him conditional bail.Both men will be sentenced at a later date. Pictured: Nadeem Sarwar who has admitted to stealing a total of not less than £5m between February 2008 and October 2016 from Cardiff Sixth Form College Sarwar's wife Yasmin Sarwar set up the school in 2004. Since then, it has risen up the rankings above illustrious Rugby and Marlborough schools with pupils travelling from all over the world to take A-levels. She is due to face a trial next weekMrs Sarwar, 48, of Cyncoed, Cardiff, is facing nine theft and fraud charges between 2008 and 2016 totalling more than £5million.She is due to face a trial next week.A-level students pay more than £30,000 in annual fees at the independent college while those boarding pay over £70,000.The college had more than 300 students on its register and attracts children from all around the world, including Albania and China.