Last year, reductions in central government funding took millions of pounds out of school budgets, resulting in larger classes throughout the country.

There are no signs of those cuts being reversed - yet the Government can find money to pour into independent schools, so that a small minority of children can enjoy the privilege of smaller class sizes. In Hertford and Ware, they cannot even claim that bright children need to escape from mediocre state schools - on the contrary, we have proved beyond doubt our capacity to provide a first-class education for all, from those with learning difficulties right through to the very brightest.

Has the Government finally lost all sense of justice? Or does it not care about the opinions of the vast majority of parents who want their children to thrive in successful, well-resourced, local authority schools?

G FIELD Head The Chauncy School.

R JAMES Head Richard Hale School.

M MUSSELL Head The Sele School.

J ROBINSON Head Presdales School.

R SILLS Head Simon Balle School Hertford.