While I respect The TES’s need to present a polarised picture of the education research community (“Bias fears as right-winger heads inquiry”, September 12), the overwhelming response I received at the British Educational Research Association conference was one of encouragement and support. Person after person said that if anyone is to conduct research into the state of educational research, then they were glad it was someone like me, rather than the BERA “old guard”, who couldn’t necessarily be relied upon to highlight inadequacies which many suspect are present.

Chris Woodhead, you report, is well-known for his prejudices about educational research. More generously, you could have pointed out that with the commissioning of this research, he puts his prejudices on the line, and we will wait to see whether or not the data support his misgivings.

JAMES TOOLEY

School of Education University of Manchester