In places where new schools are needed, parent or teacher-sponsored schools, managed by responsible people, have a useful part to play.

Toby Young attributes to Fiona Millar a concern that such schools might be run by nutters. One hopes not, but his personal attack on her and his disparagement of a school with a long, distinguished and continuing record of service to London’s children makes her point precisely. To give control of large sums of taxpayers’ money to Mr Young would be irresponsible. His expertise does not lie in anything connected with education.

He has a certain talent for low-level journalistic invective, so perhaps he should stick to that.

Peter Newsam and Tim Brighouse, Former chief schools adjudicator and former London schools commissioner respectively.