A senior headteacher has said it is “essential” a way is found to build a Roman Catholic secondary school in the borough.

Last week we revealed Pope Benedict XVI will visit St Mary’s University College, in Twickenham, on the morning of September 17 to meet schoolchildren from all over the country.

Councillor Nick True, leader of Richmond Council, admitted it brought the fact the borough does not have a Catholic secondary school sharply into focus.

Christine Brett, headteacher of St Elizabeth’s RC Primary School, in Richmond, said it was important everyone did everything they could to change that.

Ms Brett said: “We are relying on secondary schools in other authorities to take our children and there is more and more pressure on places. It is getting harder and harder for Richmond youngsters to get places – it is noticeably getting harder every year.”

She added: “We must all do everything we can to work towards having a good Catholic secondary school in this area so youngsters can stay in the borough.”

The borough last had a Catholic secondary school, St Edward the Confessor RC School in Richmond, from 1954 until 1976.

And Christ’s School, formed by the merger of St Edward’s and St Mary Magdalene Church of England School, was for Church of England and Catholic families until the Catholic Church withdrew in 1997.

There has been no state secondary school in the borough for Catholics since.

Coun True said: “[The visit] does remind us that we are one of the very few boroughs without a Catholic secondary school whereas we know very many parents would like to have this option for their children.

Every year we lose hundreds of Catholic children out of the borough to secondary education elsewhere.

“Given the outstanding quality of our Catholic primary schools that is a loss to borough education as a whole.”

He added that he hoped the Pope’s visit sparked a “springboard to renewed effort” and would work with the Department of Education and the London Archdioceses to try and secure a Catholic secondary school.