Plans for the proposed Catholic school in Twickenham are pushing forward as the name for the school is announced this week.

The school in Clifden Road has been named Saint Richard Reynolds Catholic College, with plans for the school uniform also decided upon.

In a press release issued this week, it was said the school “will open by September 2013” despite campaign groups having being successfully granted a judicial review into the processes the council carried out in regards to establishing a Catholic school.

The director for education for the Diocese of Westminster, Paul Barber, said: “In the meantime, the law imposes a statutory duty on both the diocese and the council to implement the proposals that have been approved. We will therefore be complying with that duty to ensure the schools are ready to open in September 2013.”

The British Humanist Association and Richmond Inclusive Schools Campaign (Risc) argue the council thought there was a need for a new school but failed to seek proposals for an academy or free school before going ahead with the Catholic school.

There will be 10 places in the primary school which will be allocated on the basis of distance from the school and not on the religion of the child. The remaining 20 places will be allocated with priority given to baptised Catholic children.

Parents can also apply for a place at the secondary school for children currently in year 6 at primary school.

If the judicial review is not successful, St Richard Reynolds Catholic Primary School and St Richard Reynolds Catholic High School will open next year.

An open day about the schools will be held in the main hall at Clifden Road on Saturday, October 20.

  • Following last week’s front page story in the RTT, Risc claimed the headline “Gove support for Catholic School” was incorrect.

In a statement they say: “There no evidence to support the council’s claim that the Secretary of State for education has confirmed their decision on Catholic Schools is lawful.

“The Government has intervened on the council’s side in the case being brought against them. But that is on a legal point that has already been raised. It introduces a different emphasis, and will complicate the court hearing, but it may well not sway the outcome.”

According to Risc, neither side has so far produced a statement by Michael Gove saying he either supports or does not support a Catholic school in Twickenham.