Rob Prior makes the fundamental mistake of asserting that judicial review provides financial relief. It does not. The legal advice we received was to use the declaration in the High Court that the Secretary of State should have directed the governors to act properly to secure compensation from the school. Negotiations and High Court proceedings were opened to that end. Again, the strong advice we received from our lawyers was that the amount offered represented a good out-of-court settlement and was a considerably better prospect than other alternatives which carried very significant risks, full disclosure of which would not be in Rob Prior’s interests.

Rob Prior’s allegations about the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers’ attitude to industrial tribunals and to the defence of members facing redundancy of dismissal is a disgraceful travesty. Space does not allow me to list the scores of successful cases we have pursued.

NIGEL DE GRUCHY

General secretary

NASUWT

5 King Street, London WC2