In last week’s edition (11 March), unfortunately, you misrepresented Ofqual’s position on international comparisons, wrongly reporting us as saying that rankings from the Pisa survey are “not that meaningful”.

You suggest this, it seems, because our methodology and progress report on international comparisons in senior secondary assessment makes reference to this view from a third-party study from King’s College London.

It is our job to obtain and evaluate all available evidence before coming to any conclusions. To take selective quotes from a statement of methodology and present it as Ofqual’s position misrepresents the facts.

We share with the DfE a commitment to a thorough understanding of how our qualifications compare with others across the world. Ofqual’s progress report shows how we intend to secure that understanding, and in doing so discusses some of the challenges we face in comparing assessments used in different countries.

Sandra Burslem, Deputy chair, Ofqual.