The key issue in May’s KS2 writing paper was the task that asked pupils to write a report on trainers (“Head’s fury at ‘injustice’ of rejected KS2 appeals”, October 2).

Picture the scene at the QCA: some bright spark chirping up with, “I’ve got it - let’s get the kids to write about trainers. It’s cool. It’s hip. The kids will love it!”

What a pity no one stopped to consider what genre pupils would be asked to write. The instructions said write a report. What they wanted was a mixture of recount and review. With such misleading instructions, it is little wonder children underperformed.

Michael Price, Dagenham, Essex.