Vaughan School to opt out

THE government has given the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in West London the goahead to opt out of local education authority control. The decision comes after a prolonged battle and despite the opposition of Cardinal Basil Hume and the Westminster Diocesan Education Service VS hich wanted to see the L'aughan School take part in an area reorganisation.
Education Secretary John MacGregor, in announcing his decision, described the Vaughan School as "popular and successful" and appealed to parents, governors and staff to "ensure that the school maintains that success in future—.
Westminster diocese had planned to expand the 11-16 year old provision at the Vaughan School, and transfer its sixth form to newly established sixth form college nearby . However, Vaughan parents and staff objected to the scheme and collected enough signatures for a petition to allow them to apply to the Secretary of State to opt out.
In his campaign against the Vaughan's application to opt out, Cardinal Hume stressed that educational provision for all Catholic young people in West London would he better served by a central sixth form college. He at one stage threatened to go to court, and to prison it' necessary, to Nock the opting out proposal, hut was persuaded by his legal advisers to back down.