With regard to your report about falling numbers in the UK private school sector (“Dark clouds gather as rolls fall in independents”, 26 April), great care must be taken over which types of schools. Much of the emphasis in the article is on the increasing cost of boarding, and it doesn’t distinguish between age groups.

One of the major effects of the recession is that parents have to make choices about the type and length of private education they can afford. In the sector I represent - private 11-18 day schools - numbers have kept up. In fact, pressure for places has often increased. An academic education in a selective day school is something that parents value greatly, especially when such schools are so involved in their communities. We remain committed in our mission to be a fundamental part of the educational achievements of the UK.

Stephen Smith, Secretary, Forum of Independent Day Schools.