In a recent news item (“Independent school joins maintained primary in ‘groundbreaking’ merger”, 7 September) you said that the King’s School in Tynemouth was a member of the “elite” Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC) and you described Liverpool College and Bradford Girls’ Grammar as “prestigious” private schools.

In using these adjectives you perpetuate the myth that independent schools are better that state schools. I can’t ever remember seeing you describe a maintained school in the same way. The HMC is only elite because its criteria specifically excludes state schools from full membership. And with respect to the Liverpool and Bradford schools, I doubt whether anyone who doesn’t live in those cities has ever heard of them.

Matthew Handy, Director of mathematics, dotmaths, Harrogate.