I hope Education Secretary Michael Gove, who sees the “real business of schools” as “opening the eyes of children to experiences that would otherwise have been alien to them” is alarmed to note that, given a budget cut, the first thing 67 per cent of academy heads would ditch is extra-curricular activities (“The headteacher audit,” June 25). This shows the “business” of business-led organisations is functional education, with easily quantified results.

I hope too that he notes that heads were three times more likely than those at state schools to claim bad behaviour has risen.

I spent ten years in Hull local authority, which has some of the worst behaviour in the country, and bemoaned a lack of extra-curricular activities. Attempts to organise anything were constantly thwarted, except when one school prioritised the issue. It became the most improved school in the county, and was then closed. With tough times ahead, let’s hope we can put the needs of young people and society above the chances to jiggle league tables and ruin teachers’ pay and working conditions.

Karen Mosley, Lead teacher for teaching and learning, Goole High School, Goole, Yorkshire.