Over four hundred parents from the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School met with some of the governing body on Monday. When asked if there was any opposition to the activities of the Vaughan Parents Action Group (VPAG) only two hands went up. That means 99.5% of parents have no objections to the Vaughan Parents Action Group.

I wonder how many hands would have gone up in support of the Archbishop?

Here is the latest press release from the Vaughan Parents Action Group...

Monday night’s meeting between parents and governors, so long requested and so often denied, was a cause for both celebration and disappointment: celebration because parents left governors in no doubt about their unity and passionate commitment to their children’s School, but disappointment at the lost opportunity to build bridges and move forward, because of the absence of any diocesan representation at the meeting.

The meeting had been advertised as an opportunity for parents to ask questions, both of the Governing Body and the Diocese, about decisions concerning the governance of the School and plans for its future direction. Over 400 parents attended and took the opportunity to demonstrate their enthusiastic support, both for their elected parent governors and for the staff, represented by acting Head, Charles Eynaud and Deputy Head, Paul Stubbings. Parents asked probing questions, principally of the Chairman of Governors, John O’Donnell.

Apart from the Diocese’s regrettable decision not to send an official representative, foundation governors Paul Barber (Diocesan Director of Education), Monsignor James Curry (Archbishop’s representative on the Governing Body) and newly appointed Kate Griffin (member of the Executive Board of the Catholic Education Service) were also absent. This meant that there was no one who could answer with authority any question about overall policy or more detailed questions about why some foundation governors had been removed and others appointed. The other absentee was Ike Offiah, one of the two foundation governors retrospectively designated as a “parent”, although he has no child in the School.

In attendance were foundation governors Rita Biddulph, Michael Craven, Gerry Kelly, Bwalya Kwanga, Rory O’Hare and Mary Waplington, the other designated “parent” (with no child in the School), as well as elected parent governors James King, Jackie Knight, John Murphy Andrzej Rumun and Janusz Zajaczkowski, and local authority governor, Sir Adrian FitzGerald.

Mr O’Donnell’s explanation that diocesan officials could not be present because the parent governors’ legal action against the Diocese remained unresolved prompted a question from a parent: if the ongoing nature of the legal action was sufficient to prevent diocesan attendance at this meeting, why was it not sufficient to halt the process of appointing a new Head? Mr O’Donnell replied that, because the appointment of a new Head was Governing Body business, it could proceed.

In answer to a question, Mr O’Donnell said that the process of appointing a new Head had stalled earlier in the year, because the “field was not strong enough”; his attempted assurance that “the search for an outstanding Head teacher continues” elicited a shout of “He’s behind you!” from the back of the Hall, to much laughter and tumultuous applause (Mr Eynaud and Mr Stubbings were sitting on the platform behind Mr O’Donnell).

Many of the pre-submitted questions, a list of which was circulated at the start of the meeting, were directed to the expected diocesan representative. Mr O’Donnell answered a question about the Diocese’s future plans for the School by saying, “The Diocese has no plans for the School”; this was greeted by disbelief.

A parent took the meeting through the Diocese’s actions since the beginning of the current dispute: referral of its admission arrangements to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator, replacement of seven foundation governors (including two Chairmen of Governors) in two years, refusal to appoint current parents as foundation governors, objections to music scholarships, refusal to meet parents. He concluded, “And you expect us to believe that the Diocese has no hidden agenda for the School?” This was warmly applauded.

VPAG Chairman, Anna Brown, said, “We were delighted that so many parents cared enough to attend this meeting, called at relatively short notice at such a busy time of the school year. A high proportion had questions to ask, and their support for the elected parent governors and the staff was wonderful to see. It was gratifying to note that, when they were asked, on a show of hands, whether there was any opposition to the activities of the VPAG, only two hands were raised.

“We hope the Governing Body will take away from this meeting, and communicate to the Diocese, the absolute determination of Vaughan parents to preserve the ethos, traditions and standards of the School. We call on the Archbishop, in anticipation of the government’s announced intention to amend the regulations, to appoint now two parents of pupils currently on the School roll. We ask him also to use his good offices to bring this sad dispute to an end, by advising his foundation governors to ensure that a Head is appointed who will command support from all sections of the Governing Body.”

Parents are the first and primary educators of their children. It is incredible that anybody would go out of their way to fill the governing body at any school with non-parents.

“those in society who are in charge of schools must never forget that the parents have been appointed by God Himself as the first and principal educators of their children and that their right is completely inalienable.” Familiaris Consortio (Pope John Paul II)

Please support the Vaughan Parents Action Group by signing the petition calling on Archbishop Vincent Nichols to simply appoint two current Vaughan parents as govenors.

John O'Donnell is the chairman of the govenors at two Catholic schools, including the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, a position he was parachuted in to by the Diocese of Westminster.

This is a letter he wrote recently to the Catholic Herald...

Dear Sir

You have been regularly reporting on statements by the Vaughan Parents’ Action Group in its attacks on various decisions made by the Diocese of Westminster with regard to what in effect is one of its own schools.

Perhaps I could therefore share with you the latest statement from the Action Group which it [sic] has now moved onto attacking this School.  In what I can only describe as weasel words the Action Group appears to be suggesting because the Sion-Manning in [sic] not as oversubscribed in Year 7 as the Cardinal Vaughan it is failing the Catholic Community.   This type of attack could be applied to many other Diocesan Schools.     So if the Action Group is rubbishing the Sion-Manning then it must also be rubbishing other schools.  The arrogance of the Action Group beggars belief.  For your readers [sic] information this School in its last two Inspections by the Diocese was rated “Outstanding” as a Catholic School and its last OFSTED rating was “Good”.  None of this appears to count in the eyes of the Action Group.

The Action Group appears to be dismissing any parent who decides to send their daughter to the Sion-Manning because it does not mirror the Cardinal Vaughan.   Yes we may not always be the first choice but when our girls come to leave Year 11 many parents say their daughters have achieved more than perhaps they would they would [sic] have done in other places because of our caring and nurturing approach.

We provide the foundations which have given the girls who have left us to complete their 6th Form Education elsewhere the opportunities to achieve places in the Russell Group of Universities or those who have sought to go down the vocational route the chance to achieve success in whatever field they have chosen.    I leave your readers with the question “am I lesser Catholic because I chose to be hairdresser than a scholar in an Oxbridge College”.  The Action Group appears to be claiming the latter is true. Yet surely  comprehensive education is about providing opportunities for all, whatever their circumstances, and that is why I am sad to see groups such as the Vaughan Parents’ Action Group dismissing schools such as Sion-Manning of [sic] being no account.

Yours truly

J.M. O’Donnell

JOHN M. O’DONNELL

CHAIRMAN OF GOVERNORS

SION-MANNING RC GIRLS SCHOOL

Wow. Just wow.

I know some of you are wondering so I will explain that the word [sic] in brackets is used to indicate that the words preceding it are included "as is" and the mistake is of Mr O'Donnell's doing and not a mistake by a transcriber at the Catholic Herald.

My spelling leaves a lot to be desired... I hammer out blog posts when I'm tired and then I don't bother spell checking them, but this... this is awful.

h/t Damian Thompson

The new regime at the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School are being remarkably secretive about the effects of their shiny new admissions policy. Proud parents are not usually so coy with the baby photos.

The "Clerk to Governors" acting under "advice from the Acting Headmaster and Chairman of Governors" refused to provide the information I needed and I was only able to obtain detailed information about the distribution of pupil distances at the school by making a freedom of information request to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Even then, it's not straight forward. For this years intake (the first one under the new admissions policy) they have provided only 'as the crow flies' figures while for last years intake (2010) they have provided only 'safest, shortest walking route' figures.

Both the school and the borough are very keen to point out that these distances are not comparable. Somebody might live two miles away as the crow flies, but it might be a three mile walk to get there. Naturally I asked for comparable figures but I'm still waiting on that one, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are claiming not to know how far away some boys at the Vaughan School live.

In the meantime, I offer the following non-comparable facts for your consideration:

Under the old, 2010 admission policy:

32% of boys lived within three miles walk of the school.
15 boys lived within two miles walk of the school.

Under the new, 2011 admission policy:

73% of boys live within a three mile crow flight of the school.
59 boys live within a two mile crow flight of the school

Note: These figures do not include boys who entered under music scholarships or special educational needs as the rules surrounding those two methods of entry have not changed.

I find it hard to belive that a simple change in measuring technique can account for such a huge increase in the number of boys living in close proximity to the school. Crows or no crows, it is clear that a huge shift has taken place.

Under the old admissions policy points were awarded for involvement in parish life including everything from running a prayer group or being on the parish council to having a child in the scout group. Ordinary families were rewarded for dedication and service to the Church.

Under the new admissions policy you can run a prayer group, join the parish council, clean the church, arrange flowers, sing in the choir, help raise money for a new roof, visit the sick and housebound and help feed the homeless and the school will say hmm, big deal. Where do you live? Families are now rewarded only for being able to afford a house in Kensington. That will set you back about £1.3 million by the way.

In other words, the new admissions policy favours the rich.

If any supporters of the new policy want to get in to an argument about the flight paths of an unladen African Swallow in the West Kensington area... please don't.

I have spent many hours trying to attain the information I need to make a scrupulously fair comparison. Don't whine to me about the lack of comparable figures, kindly direct your complaints to the governing body of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial school and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea who have both refused to supply them.

If he wanted to, Archbishop Nichols could sort this whole thing out tomorrow.

h/t Fr Ray Blake

Some free advice for Mgr Curry and Mr O'Donnell:

When it's dark outside and you have the lights on - people can see in...

You guys have been rumbled.

At the end of the Vigil, parents and pupils processed into the car park, and were gathered under the window of the library where the meeting was taking place. We have received a number of witness statements which describe what took place, but the salient facts are these:

• Mr Eynaud, the Acting Headmaster, was seen sitting at the desk in the Head’s office, directly below the library.
• Parents were singing ‘Faith of Our Fathers’; it was observed that someone closed the library windows, presumably to shut out the sound.
• Mgr Curry (identified by parishioners of Our Lady of Victories and Our Lady of Grace, although he was not wearing clerical attire) entered the Head’s office and approached Mr Eynaud; clearly very angry, he was gesticulating with his index finger very close to Mr Eynaud, even appearing to prod him in the chest.
• Mr Stubbings, the Deputy Headmaster, and Mr O’Donnell entered the room; at one point both Mgr Curry and Mr O’Donnell both appeared to be shouting at Mr Eynaud, while Mr Stubbings was trying to interpose himself between them.
• It appeared that no one in the room was aware of the large number of adults and children who were watching this scene with a sense of mounting shock and dismay.

[link]

Afterwards Mgr Curry and Mr O'Donnell slipped away quietly.

How very brave of them.

photo credit: launceston_lad@flickr

A quick update on the affairs of the Vaughan Parents' Action Group:

We have outgrown our old website and are pleased to be able to launch a brand new website where we will be posting all the campaign news from now on. Our new website can be found at:

www.savethevaughan.com

Our list of distinguished patrons is growing at a great pace. We are delighted to announce that the eminent QC, Anthony Speaight, Judith Mossman, Professor of Classics at Nottingham University, and the distinguished composer, Colin Mawby (former Master of the Music at Westminster Cathedral) have all done us the honour of accepting our invitation to become patrons in the past few days.

For short biographies of all our patrons, please go to the patrons' page of our website http://savethevaughan.com/

• We are still awaiting the outcome of the 9th March Appeal Court hearing about the composition of Cardinal Vaughan's Governing Body, at which judgment was reserved. Win or lose, our campaign to save the Vaughan will continue until the Diocesan director of education, Paul Barber, is removed from the Governing Body and two parents, with children at the school, are appointed as foundation governors.
• Our next event is on Wednesday 6th April, when the Governing Body meets at the school to discuss, among other things, the appointment of a new Headmaster. We will hold our second vigil of prayer and music, from 6.30pm - 8.00pm outside the school gates on this day. We intend the occasion to be a great celebration of the Catholic faith and of our commitment to the school. Do please join us if you possibly can. 89 Addison Road, London W14 8BZ. We are asking the chairman of the governors, John O'Donnell, to meet parents beforehand, to answer their questions about the future direction of the school.
• Toby Young, who founded the West London Free School which opens in September, has written about the Cardinal Vaughan dispute in the March 19th edition of the Spectator magazine. His article can be found here: http://www.spectator.co.uk/columnists/all/6788063/
• We are gathering signatures for a petition of support for our aims which will be presented to Archbishop Nichols in due course. The petition is attached and can be downloaded and printed out so that anyone can help us to add more signatures. The sheets should be posted to the VPAG at 22-24 Ely Place, London EC1N 6TE by Monday, 4th April, to allow us time to collate the whole petition.

The Vaughan Parents' Action Group is determined to preserve the Vaughan's distinctive Catholic ethos, its London-wide intake, and its academic, musical and sporting excellence and will pursue its campaign to ensure this relentlessly and by every possible means.

Some feedback from Vaughan parents who were handing out leaflets on Sunday...

“We had a very successful leaflet operation in place.  All Masses were covered with the full support of our Parish Priest, although I believe he encountered one comment about the leaflets being distributed inside the Church, but he explained to that person, that we had his full support.”

“Our parish priest was aware and I believe was happy for us to be there. It was very low key and relaxed, no one challenged it, and some people we missed went out of their way to come up to us to get a leaflet; lots of people were reading the leaflet in Mass!”

“Fr  [name deleted] came out and harangued me for 20 mins. He is really intimidating . I wouldn't tell him my name and so he kept on and on ‘You must be very ashamed of what you are doing.’ I do feel quite shaken, I have never come across anyone like him. He tried all sorts of techniques to unsettle me ‘Who is manipulating you?’ ‘I find you offensive’ - (because I am outside his church handing out leaflets) ‘You don't really have a clue what this is about do you?’ ‘I feel sad for you - you are clearly being used.’ He is a real mind games person - twisting what you say and sneering. He asked loads of questions (chiefly about money but also about our aims).  I said I would make sure the VPAG would post him our aims etc as I said I was not very good at getting my point across. He invaded my space and was completely unnerving. I just kept saying ‘We are not giving up.’ He is enough to put me off the church for good.”

At another parish, a pupil, the son of an Afro-Caribbean volunteer parent, was subjected to racist abuse: "Why are you supporting the white middle class?” etc, and the mum herself told by a very expensively dressed lady that the Vaughan is “racist and fascist”.

“I was told by a member of the congregation that people only went to the Vaughan ‘because they wanted a public school on the cheap’. Apparently it is wrong to want a decent education for your child if you can’t afford to pay £20,000 a year for it. We should know our place!”

“All went swimmingly well at [name of church deleted] the lovely PP there, Fr [name deleted] gave the cause a name check from the pulpit at Offertory prayers, and again at the end of Mass.”

“Some of the nuns were very shocked when they read the leaflet. They blamed the government and when I explained it was the Diocese who were imposing these criteria there was a look of disbelief and confusion.

“The leaflets were well received by many who had no idea what was going on. The sacraments issue got to people more than church activity. This parish is a bit of a black hole for Catholics applying for secondary school and those parishioners living there are disadvantaged by the distance rules. I was conscious that I was giving them to some families who are Mass attenders but do not contribute to the church in any other way. They already have children in the local comprehensive and although they are content with it, they too believed that there should be points for sacraments.”

Sounds like there's support out there but also a lot of people who have no idea what's going on - which is why it's a very good idea to raise awareness in the first place.

One of the great saints of the reformation is St Edmund Campion. One of the things he did during his mission to England was to write a leaflet Decem Rationes (ten reasons) in which he gave his arguements against the anglican church. Decem Rationes was printed in secret and when, in June 1581, the cream of Oxford University gathered for the Commencement they found 400 copies on the benches, the authorities were not amused.

This morning the Vaughan Parents Action Group are taking similar action. A leaflet is being distributed at a number of parishes across London, including many of those whose parishioners have in the past traditionally sent their children to the Vaughan school. I say "in the past" because if the diocese gets their way, those parishioners will in the future need to afford an expensive house near the school. Like Campions leaflet, this leaflet explains the reasons why parents are campaigning.

Vaughan Parents’ Action Group

This Sunday Pray for Catholic Education

• There is a lot to celebrate about Catholic Education but our schools are under threat as never before.
• The Diocese of Westminster has forced schools such as The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School (CVMS) to drop from their admission criteria the requirement for parents to present their children for the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confession.
• Practising Catholic families question why this requirement of Canon Law has not been insisted upon by the Diocese.
• Westminster Diocese has refused to involve parents fully in the education of their children, by eliminating them from the Foundation Governors of CVMS, even though well qualified parents offered themselves. This is why the Westminster Diocese is being taken to court by the Vaughan's elected Parent Governors.
• Some Catholic schools in London struggle to fill places with Catholic pupils. Instead of singling out the Vaughan's Governing Body for special treatment the Diocese should concentrate on helping schools like these to attract a higher Catholic intake.
• After Baptism and Mass attendance the Diocese prefers to use geographical distance as a tie-breaker for admission to Catholic schools over and above commitment to and practice of the Faith or involvement in the life of the Church.
• When this applies to schools such as CVMS it will effectively deny practising families the choice of a Catholic education for their children if they live more than a couple of miles away from a School.

Is this what you want for your children and grandchildren ?

Write to Archbishop Vincent Nichols at Archbishop’s House, Ambrosden Avenue, London, SW1P 1QJ or email: archbishop@rcdow.org

Tell him what you want and expect him to provide for Catholic education for your family

Do this before it is too late to make a difference

Pray for Catholic Education

Join our campaign at: sites.google.com/site/vaughanparentsactiongroup/

Like the authorities of 1581, Archbishop Vincent Nichols is not going to be amused. Fortunately, nobody is threatened with death, but the faithful of England are being opressed by Bishops who care little for the rights of parents but are instead concerned only with upholding something they call "policy".

One of the "tools" of this opression are the hefty legal bills that the Vaughan Parents Action Group are facing. Please support them by clicking the link above where you can donate via PayPal.

Fr Ray Blake...

It is an argument between Catholic-Lite: Archbishop Nichols et al and Catholic heavy(ish): the existing parents and governors. The Archbishop considers himself offering a "pastoral approach" and considers the parents to be elitist, at least as far as faith is concerned. The consequence of his actions will be dumbing down on faith requirements for entry but raising sky high the financial requirements for entry, Holland Park, West Kensington are hardly the places the average Sudanese or Iraqi asylum seeker lives, unless they are some one's servant. What the Archbishop wants to do is integrate the Vaughan into the diocesan schools structure and making it a "bog standard Comp".

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Fr Simon Henry...

The school is recognised by the government's inspection body (OFSTED) as a "highly motivated and highly achieving Catholic School". The Archdiocese of Westminster seems to think that its entrance criteria are too demanding but as one of the parents pointed out, what the school asks for is nothing more than what any and every Catholic is supposed to be doing anyway. It seems that practising the Faith is now, in the eyes of the Archdiocese, a bar to attending a Catholic school, or at the very least something not to be encouraged. Surely, this is the inversion of what should be desirable?

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The Sensible Bond...

The parents themselves have the duty of educating their children as Catholics by virtue of their covenantal promises made to God on the day of their marriage. So, even Catholic schools stand in loco parentis. The parents are NOT, therefore, clients of the school; the Catholic school is, in a sense, the subcontractor of Catholic parents. But could not the diocese defend its position on the grounds that it is arguing for the rights of children whose parents cannot or will not act in their defence? No! Because that is a different function from standing in the place of parents who actually, really, actively want a Catholic education for their children.

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Parents at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School make their feelings known...

Pray for them.