Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School

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Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School is a Roman Catholic comprehensive state school in Holland Park, London.

Since 1998, the headmaster has been Michael Gormally. The School has Specialist Status in mathematics and information technology.

The School has approximately 950 students and is among the very best comprehensive schools in the UK. It is ranked as a top Comprehensive School in the country by papers such as The Independent, The Guardian and The Times. The sixth form college is in particular one of the best in the country, this being evident in its very high A-Level grades. The standard of the School's music-making is especially fine and renowned nationally. They do not select year seven pupils on academic prowess, but they do test for Catholicity before choosing who they want.

1 History
2 Buildings
3 Extra curricular activities
4 Schola Cantorum
5 Uniform
6 Former Pupils
7 External links

[edit] History

Founded in 1914, the School is a national memorial to the third Archbishop of Westminster, Herbert Vaughan. At first a private school, it became a state-funded grammar school in 1944. The Vaughan began to take pupils of all abilities in 1977; girls were first admitted to the Sixth Form in 1980. The School is now voluntary-aided and draws pupils chiefly, but not exclusively from Inner London.

[edit] Buildings

The School is divided into two main buildings separated by a road. It has a sports pavillion at the School's playing fields in Twickenham. The School's Music department, DT rooms and IT facilities are particularly impressive. In a letter addressed to pupils from the Lead Inspector (HMI), the School's music facilities were described as 'outstanding' (see Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School Ofsted report).

The Vaughan has recently added a third floor to the New Building, creating new music facilities. The new floor holds a recording room, a music technology room with more than 20 computers, many rehearsal rooms, a Song School for choral singing, two full-sized classrooms and a performance hall.

[edit] Extra curricular activities

The School offers a wide range of activities. The School fields seven football teams and an equal number of rugby trams. The Vaughan has five cricket teams, which compete in the London Schools League. The School's athletes participate in regional and national competitions, while netball is now a firmly established sport for girls in the Sixth Form. There is also a very strong tradition for fencing and rowing. In the latter, two boys have gone on to become Olympic successes.

Music plays an important part in the life of the School. Boys are encouraged to learn musical instruments, including the piano, the organ (of which the School has three), strings, brass, woodwind and percussion. There is also a variety of choirs and orchestras: the Schola Cantorum, the Sixth Form Choir, the School Choir, the School Orchestra, the Lower and Upper School Sinfoniettas, the Concert Band, the Junior String Ensemble, the Senior Strings and the Chamber Orchestra, all of which give regular concerts. The School's renowned Big Band has taken part in national competitions and has toured in France, Spain and the Netherlands.

The Schola Cantorum has twice represented Great Britain at the Loreto Festival in Italy and has visited Rome three times, singing Vespers in the Basilica of St Peter and performing before the Pope. Members of the Schola Cantorum have been selected to sing at Covent Garden and the English National Opera.

School journeys are yearly ski trips, Modern Language trips and French Exchanges; over the years, a great many boys have visited countries as far afield as the united States and Greece. Clubs and societies exist for chess, computers, philosophy and the like.

[edit] Schola Cantorum

THE SCHOLA CANTORUM is the liturgical choir of The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, one of the country’s foremost Catholic Secondary schools which is widely known for its academic excellence, good discipline and a strong Catholic ethos. The Schola, founded in 1980 and made up of boys aged 11-18, enjoys a reputation as one of the leading choirs of its type. In addition to singing at School Masses, the Schola also has frequent external engagements and has sung at many of London’s major venues including Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, St John’s, Smith Square and the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

The Schola has made a number of recordings, the most recent of which ‘Sing in Exultation’ is a CD of Christmas music. The choir has also featured in Radio and TV broadcasts; most recently on BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship and on Vatican Radio. The boys have also appeared on BBC Television’s Songs of Praise. The Schola has travelled widely abroad, singing in Greece, Holland, Germany, France, Italy and the USA. The choir's last major tour was to Rome where the boys sang at Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor's Titular Church, Santa Maria sopra Minerva and at the major Basilicas of St John Lateran, St Mary Major, St Paul's outside the Walls and St Peter's. They were addressed by the Pope with these words: "I am pleased to greet the Schola Cantorum of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in London. May your music, your studies and your lives always be directed to the praise of God and the growth of his Kingdom."

Since 1998, the Schola has been directed by Charles Cole, who was a chorister at Westminster Cathedral before winning a major music scholarship to Ampleforth. He went on to become Organ Scholar at Exeter College, Oxford, reading Music and studying the organ with David Sanger, before returning to Westminster Cathedral as Organ Scholar. He is also Director of Music at Our Lady of Victories, Kensington.

[edit] Uniform

Uniform for boys in forms 1 - 5 is a black blazer with a maroon and blue striped tie and for boys in the upper and lower sixth, a grey suit. The girls wear maroon blazers with grey skirts.

[edit] Former Pupils

Norman St John Stevas, (Lord St John of Fawsley), Conservative politician and Cabinet Minister, Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Donald Edward Garland Irish, Victoria Cross recipient
Paddy Finucane Irish, Distinguished service order recipient, Distinguished Flying cross recipient with two bars