I have taught in state middle and primary schools for nearly 30 years, with the last 17 as a headteacher in three Norfolk schools. While a few staff may be described as “failing to inspire”, they are certainly not the norm.

In my current “outstanding” school (Ofsted 2008) where I have been head for 10 years, my staff are very talented, never Sats-straitjacketed, extremely creative with the curriculum and offer a vast range of extracurricular activities in music, sports and academic subjects.

We have had some members of staff (please note that I stress “some”) come to us from the private sector who are unable to cope with classes with any more than 15 children and have neither the skill nor imagination to stretch 30 children from widely differing socio-economic backgrounds.

Dominic Cragoe, Sheringham Primary School amp; Nursery, Norfolk.