Letter: Friends of Newton

Sir: We Newton Prep parents were surprised to see your education correspondent ('School for gifted accused of cramming', 1 November) give so much credence and space to the views on our school of an entrepreneur who, since being unsuccessful in buying into Newton, has set himself up as business rival. Your feature appears more a promotion of his business than a serious discussion of our school.

Had your correspondent been able to speak to any of the several hundred Newton parents who attended the recent very full PTA, she would have realised that we believe Newton to be the equal of any comparable school and an excellent school where our children will remain.

Yours faithfully,

RICHARD BALABAN, NANCY BALABAN, KAMRAN AHMED, MANIZEH AHMED, HUGO DE BURGH, CAROLINE DUMFRIES, JENNY HALL, ROGER KAYE, ISABELLA KAYE, ANNA KELLY, PHILIPPA MONKTON, CHRISTOPHER NEWSAM, SUSAN NEWSAM, IRENE PALMER, MARK PALMER, LYNNE MILLER-ROBINSON, JACQUI RUSSELL, SHEILA SHEPHERD, NICHOLAS TALBOT-SMITH, FIONA TALBOT-SMITH, EDWARD WARWICK, GAYLE WARWICK, JULIA WEEDON, RAY WEEDON, ROBERT WINTERTON, JOANNA WINTERTON, QUAMAR WOLFERS

London, SW10

4 November