I’d be first to be critical of excess expenditure on assessment (“Examiner overload threatens Diploma”, November 20), but let’s also recognise that new things have greater initial costs. Headlines like “Diplomas cost #163;10k per student” are like saying we’ve spent #163;50k on a new zebra crossing and only five people have crossed it so far, so that’s #163;10k per head. Let’s hope the Diploma will be around for a while and many more have the chance to use it when they come to their own crossroads at 14 or 16.

Trevor Sandford, Director, Strategic Projects, Sandford Enterprises Ltd, Bearsted, Kent.