I must point out the following facts: 1 The photograph was taken to accompany an article on religion in schools. My permission to use it to accompany the grant maintained school article was neither sought nor given and in my opinion was a misrepresentation of the photograph.

2 This school is a Catholic school. We will not do anything to jeopardise our Catholic school status as this is the sole reason for our existence.

3 I happen to have very positive links with my local authority and I have always worked very closely with the borough and will continue to do so.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea education department is far too professional to even consider using the sort of language quoted in that article.

M F BRADING Headteacher Our Lady of Victories RC primary school Clareville Street London SW7 The editor writes: We apologise to Mrs Brading for our failure to discuss with her how the picture taken might be used. We did not intend to imply that the difficulties anticipated by some grant-maintained schools when they returned to their local authority applied to Our Lady of Victories school or to Kensington and Chelsea.