Cathedral school rejects claims of ‘toxic’ atmosphere

A RENOWNED yet scandal-hit choir school has dismissed rumours of a “toxic” atmosphere as “conspiracy theories”, a leaked letter to parents reveals.

In March, The Daily Telegraph revealed that the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales was accused of imposing “Stasi-style” gagging orders on staff, amid fears he was trying to close Westminster Cathedral Choir School.

In his role as the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Nichols also sits as president of the prestigious WCCS, which has ben embroiled in an escalating row over the future of its choirboys after it scrapped weekend boarding.

The row intensified after the school’s master of music, Martin Baker, quit in January, despite 20 years of service, after a reduced six-day-a-week timetable was implemented. And now Madeline Smith, the music administrator of Westminster Cathedral has now publicly resigned and accused WCCS of undermining the choir, misleading parents and of “inexcusable” treatment of Mr Baker.

Her letter of resignation, which has been widely circulated on social media, states: “I am leaving because I feel there is no alternative; the position in which the music department finds itself is untenable, and I feel it has been so for quite a while.”

The Telegraph investigation revealed that Cardinal Nichols was accused of presiding over a “toxic” and “draconian” culture at the school.

However, in a letter to parents David Heminway, the chair of governors at WCCS, dismissed Ms Smith’s resignation letter as “dishonest and misleading” and urged parents to ignore “this constant barrage of untruths”.

His letter, dated Sept 14, which was leaked to The Telegraph, said: “I am reluctant to dignify this dishonest and misleading letter with a comment, but the school has been under sustained, hostile and unfair criticism from a number of people opposed to the modest changes it made to the chorister boarding schedule at weekends.”

He added: “Absurd conspiracy theories about covert plans to close the choir, or phase out boarding altogether, or convert dormitories into classrooms to fund the Pre-prep, have abounded. None of them is true.”

A Diocese of Westminster spokesperson said: “This letter, circulated by a former employee, is replete with inaccurate and baseless claims, which are personal attacks on certain individuals. It would appear this employee is acting from a personal grudge.”