Regarding your pay profiles of fictional teachers, (TES, February 16) Heather may be 28 and have five years of relevant experience but please do not mislead mature student teachers into believing that they should expect five experience points.
As a mature 33-year-old entrant last September with 12 years of relevant experience I refused several job offers when told I would get just one experience point.
Eventually I accepted a job offer as an acting head of business studies (yes, as a newly qualified teacher) with two experience points - and the promise of responsibility points in 1996.
We all (newspapers, teacher trainers and politicians) owe a duty of care to potential student teachers to be honest about experience points.
PETER GOLDEN 4 Beafield Road Kingston London
