Letter: Hackney schools
Sir: I must give an alternative viewpoint to that expressed by Gabriel Thompson ("Confessions of a disillusioned parent", 19 September) in which he explains why he feels justified in taking his step-daughters out of a state school in Hackney.
My children attend William Patten School, in the heart of Hackney, and I have nothing but praise both for the school and for the head. It must be hard work when some 50 per cent of the children do not have English as a first language but still the children are encouraged and extended.
Of course, the local education authority may be in need of some changes but please do not lay the blame at the schools themselves. They are doing the best they can.
P D Tapper
London N16
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