2026/ 27
YEAR 12 PROSPECTUS THE CARDINAL VAUGHAN MEMORIAL SCHOOL
CONTENTS
01
Amare et Servire Ethos & Vision for the School
07
Extra-curricular Outside the classroom
02
Choosing Our Sixth Form From the Head of Upper School
08
Testimonials Head Prefects 2026/2027
03
Curriculum Sixth Form Subjects
09
Leavers Destinations University Destinations 2026)
04
Catholic Life Love & Service
10
Admissions How to Apply
05
Ofsted 2026 Report
11
Contact Information Address & Number
06
Life at the Vaughan Gallery
AMARE ET SERVIRE
The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School is an academy in the Archdiocese of Westminster. The School has a strong Catholic ethos, a pan-London intake, a tradition of outstanding academic outcomes and a strong regard for responsible conduct, self-discipline and self-improvement among its pupils. The purpose of the School is best expressed in the words of Cardinal Manning, which appear in the preamble to our Mission Statement: we seek ‘the formation of the whole person: intellect, heart, will, character and soul.’ At a fundamental level, then, our vision for what this Catholic school should (and can) achieve is in a sense pre-packaged. Our aim is to make this ideal a reality. We aim to preserve these unchanging ideals in the context of a rapidly changing world. We want the school to be progressive in the truest sense; in other words, we must identify and retain the best of the old and graft this to the best of the new, so that the foundations on which our pupils’ progress is built are strong and lasting. This, in practice, will entail a remorseless focus on tailoring our practice to suit the multifold needs of our pupils, whatever their ability, so that their development – be it academic, spiritual, social, moral, sporting or aesthetic – is as firmly embedded and lasting as possible. This will require a blend of intellectual coherence, intelligent recalibration of existing good practice to ensure lasting improvement, energetic action and systematic monitoring to ensure that the needs of a changing intake are constantly met. For the whole school community, it demands (and, hopefully, entails) unity of purpose.
1
CHOOSING OUR SIXTH FORM Hello future students! The Sixth Form of CVMS is a very special place. In the 30 years I’ve worked at the school, we have been graced by the contributions of the most remarkable young women and men, and it has been such a great pleasure to stay in touch with them and watch their achievements in various walks of life. Of course, of all the things that makes our Sixth Form special, the young people who study with us are the greatest element. To isolate the most important reasons to choose our Sixth Form is hard, but in my long experience, I would say that these two years are likely to be among the best years of your life, where you will make the most treasured memories. What makes us different from most Sixth Forms is the sense of family arising from our mission and our ethos. From September, you will be involved in induction activities that will help you to meet people and get a sense of the community you will be helping to form. The fact that we start in the morning with form period and assemblies and that we have supervised study through the day means that you will spend most of your days together, creating and attending lunchtime clubs, or simply forging new friendships, many of which will last a lifetime. It is often said in life that you get out what you put in, and nowhere can it be seen so much as in our Sixth Form, where young adults involve themselves in so many aspects of the school and consequently flourish and thrive, learning lessons for the lives on which they are about to embark. Of course, your studies will be at the heart of this, and nowhere could you meet a more expert team of teachers than those at CVMS, who have a great wealth of experience in teaching to the highest level and preparing you for university. We offer more subjects than most in the Lower Sixth, as we really want you to study the subjects that suit you best, the subjects in which you have the most talent, the subjects that you love and that will inspire and motivate you to work. I hope you’ll choose to come to us and that you get to share in all the opportunities this unique school will offer. Whatever your choices and your path, I wish you all the very best for a bright future, Miss O’Connell Head of Upper School
2
CURRICULUM
The
Cardinal
Memorial
School
Vaughan is
We offer a wide choice of subjects:
highly
acclaimed for its outstanding
Art
Geography
academic results. In addition,
Biology
History
we
Business Studies
Latin
develop their own interests
Chemistry
Mathematics
and achieve far more than just
Classical Civilisation
Music
examination success.
Computer Science
Philosophy
Design Technology
Physical Education
The Curriculum as outlined may
Drama
Physics
be subject to amendment from
Economics
Politics
time to time in the light of
English Literature
Psychology
governmental reform and other
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
Religious Studies (Theolog
requirements.
French
Sociology
Further Mathematics
Spanish
encourage
pupils
to
All pupils take Core R.E. Sixth Form sport is available, though not compulsory. Opportunities are provided for all Sixth form pupils to undertake Community Service.
3
CATHOLIC LIFE
We are a Catholic community,
At Cardinal Vaughan, our school motto is Amare et Servire, so love
committed
Mission
and service are key elements of the School ethos. We encourage our
Statement to the vision of the
pupils to accept leadership roles and demonstrate love and service in
in
our
School as a spiritual building whose cornerstone is Christ and whose foundations are the Apostles and Prophets. It follows that our community
action to ensure that the Catholic school ethos is carried across all areas of school life. "This outstanding Catholic school is committed to the formation of
must be one of love, all of
the human person, as evidenced by the comprehensive enrichment
whose members honour the
programme that supports the taught curriculum.”
Christ
Catholic Schools Inspectorate, 2024
they
find
in
one
another. "Cardinal Each person in the School, no matter what his or her worldly status, deserves to be treated with the respect and, indeed, reverence due to one created in
the
image
redeemed
by
of the
Blood of Jesus Christ.
God
and
Precious
Vaughan
offers
young
people
a
first-class
Catholic
education and a wonderful preparation for later life. Our leavers go on to a wide variety of top universities and carry with them impressive personal qualities which ensure that they are equipped to continue developing as Catholics in an increasingly complex world: I am proud that we encourage our pupils to regard their faith as a gift to be actively nurtured rather than passively received." Aaron Cosgrove, Headmaster
4
2026 OFSTED REPORT
The School’s most recent OFSTED inspection took place in 2026. We are incredibly proud to have received four Exceptional judgements and three Strong Standard judgements. This achievement reflects the dedication, hard work and commitment of our pupils, staff and governors. We would also like to thank our parents and carers for their continued support. Scan the QR code below to read the 2026 OFSTED report.
5
LIFE AT THE VAUGHAN
6
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
Cardinal Vaughan has an extensive programme of extra-curricular
We also now work with partner
activities, from sports teams (including football, rugby, netball) to
primary schools such as St
a globally renowned Music Department which includes a dedicated
Joseph's
Sixth Form choir, our increasingly important Eco Club, and Model
where Sixth Form students will
UN to name a few. Recent trips have included South Korea, Naples,
visit and provide workshops for
Galapagos Islands, and Ecuador.
the pupils.
Students are encouraged to create and run their own clubs, which in
Alongside
recent years have included a drama club, classics club, debate club,
curriculars in the Sixth Form,
philosophy club, feminist society, a school newspaper and a very
there
lively prayer group.
opportunities. Members of the
(Cadogan
the
are
Street),
many
also
extra-
leadership
Sixth Form have a responsibility Sixth Formers are also encouraged to take part in our charity
of
programme, which involves working with local businesses and
discharge within the School, in
charities to raise money and materials for those less fortunate
which they lead by example.
(including Mary's Meals and local food banks), as well as helping to
Many members of the Upper
arrange and staff our annual Senior Citizens Tea Party and help
Sixth are appointed as senior or
volunteer at Vaughan Parent's Association events.
assistant prefects; beside their vital
vital
importance
contribution
to
to
the
Our annual musical is also a highlight, with Sixth Formers taking on the
community, we believe that this
lead roles each year, and running the production team.
will
help
qualities
them of
responsibility.
7
to
develop
leadership
and
TESTIMONIALS Gabriella B, Head Girl (2026-27)
Edward S, Head Boy (2026-27)
“My time in sixth form has been full of great memories, and I feel really lucky to have spent time here. I'm so appreciative of the amazing teaching from the staff, who've pushed me to do my best while making learning genuinely enjoyable, and who've always been there whenever I needed support. I've also been surrounded by amazing people who've made this experience
truly
special,
from
close
friends to everyone I've met along the way, and that sense of togetherness has made every day here better."
"It is impossible to summarise my life here Vaughan, but if I had to do it, I would say, opportunity. Whether that’s the opportunity to achieve my best through dedicated and supportive teachers, or the opportunity to meet so many incredible people who have let me enjoy school life to its fullest. This school has given me countless chances outside of the classroom, including sport, music, drama, clubs and trips. Every day at Vaughan is a new opportunity to become a better person.”
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LEAVERS DESTINATIONS
9
University Destination 2026
Number of Pupils
University of Bristol
15
Durham University
10
University of Exeter
10
University of Warwick
10
Kings College, University of London
9
University of Leeds
9
UCL
8
University of Cambridge
7
University of Liverpool
7
University of Nottingham
7
University of Southampton
6
Queen Mary, University of London
5
Royal Holloway, University of London
5
University of Bath
5
University of Edinburgh
5
ADMISSIONS
OPEN EVENINGS EXTERNAL CANDIDATES Thursday 8 October 2026 4pm - 6pm Thursday 12 November 4pm - 6pm The application process is online. Registration will open on 8 October 2026 and follow an online link. Year 11 applicants, rather than their parents, should complete the online application. Parents will be updated regularly. You will need details of your most recent predicted grades for your online application. If you are Catholic, you will need to upload your baptism or reception certificate and a Certificate of Catholic Practice (CCP). You can start your online application and upload these documents later as long as you do so by the end of November. To start your application please visit https://www.cvms.co.uk/Admissions/ You will find it easier to do this on a laptop or PC rather than a mobile phone
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Amare et Servire
The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School
89 Addison Road London W14 8BZ 020 7603 8478