I WRITE regarding Woodbank CP School and Woodhey High School.

I am a parent of two children, aged 10 and 11, who both currently attend Woodbank and while I have every sympathy with the parents and children of Brandlesholme CP School, I have found Woodbank to be an excellent school with a very caring ethos. I am sure that the head teacher and all his staff will do their utmost to integrate the children from Brandlesholme into Woodbank with the absolute minimum of trauma to those children forced to move.

Certainly, in my experience, the staff of Woodbank school will treat every child with the same amount of care and attention, regardless of their home background, striving to help every pupil achieve their best potential in an environment where children are taught to care about each other as individuals.

At Woodbank, caring for and honesty to each other, regardless of circumstances, are held up as important principles. If the "middle class" parents of Old Hall CP School do not recognise this then they are failing to teach their children an important lesson in life.

My elder child is due to start at Woodhey in September and I have been more than a little alarmed at the recent letters regarding the appointment of a new head teacher. The move from primary to high school has involved much worry, thought and deliberation by my husband and myself. In the end we chose Woodhey because of its high standards in all aspects of school life.

I am now very concerned that I will be moving my son to a school with no head teacher in post and a split governing body. While I recognise that the appointment of a head teacher cannot be taken lightly it would be nice to think that all concerned were acting with only the best interests of the school and its pupils in mind.

I understand that the post is now to be re-advertised and the whole process of appointing a new head teacher will begin again. And surely both the candidates who came so close to being appointed this time will re-apply. So what contingency plans do the governing body have to prevent finding themselves in exactly the same position in a few months? I hope that these do not include the appointing of a third, less suitable, candidate just so members of the governing body do not lose face. I ask them to please remember that they have the education - and therefore the future - of almost 1,000 pupils in their hands and that they must act in their best interests at all times.

I trust that everyone concerned with this issue will now get on with the task in hand and do their utmost to preserve the excellent reputation that Woodhey has gained under Mr Bennet's leadership.

I have always felt let down by my secondary school and, 20 years after I left school, I still live with the consequences. I do not intend to have my children let down in the same manner. Don't make me regret the day I chose Woodhey as the school to guide my children through their secondary education.

A.B,. Brandlesholme.

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