It was high on my list of publications waiting to be read, but having seen Mr Rose’s remarkable letter, I think I can safely move it some way down the list. Mr Rose tells us that the report “says nothing about the achievement of Chinese and Indian pupils”, apparently confining itself to that of “black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Gypsy Traveller children”.

But surely this represents a fundamental methodological flaw? The obvious way to begin trying to understand the part played by ethnic-minority status in children’s educational achievement is to compare those children from minorities known to be performing relatively poorly at school with those performing relatively well. If the OFSTED report really has nothing to say about this, then it is unlikely to have a serious contribution to make.

Donald Mackinnon

16 Malborough Way

Yardley Gobion, Northants