The Government’s white paper, The Importance of Teaching, begins with a foreword by David Cameron and Nick Clegg. After throwing in a few questions from the great “education debate”, they say that “these debates will continue, but what really matters is how we’re doing compared with our international competitors”.

That hacked me off. I turn up at school driven by the knowledge that “what really matters” to me, and most of my colleagues, is addressing the needs of the children.

I agree we can learn from some of the successes of other countries, but I also felt insulted by the comment that “at the moment we are standing still while others race past”.

Simon Davies, Newcastle-under-Lyme.