Allow parents to vote with their feet

Dear Sir,

Beth Roche's letter in last week's pages section of the Chronicle seems to support the idea of multi-academy trusts (MATs).

While I believe cooperation is an excellent value in our educational system, especially vertically in the transition from primary to secondary education, it is not the only one in town.

The two types of schools have very different objectives, secondary ones being very focused on exam results and league tables while the former hopefully have more latitude for a more general ethos including many extra-curricular subjects such as the environment, social aspects and physical activity.

Likewise, competition is healthy and having two competing secondary schools within an area will raise standards as long as both are excellent and perhaps offer a slightly different emphasis.

A MAT comprising all Congleton schools seems to take cooperation too far and runs the risk of the larger ones taking resources from the others.

In an era when finances are all important, it is essential to take a wider approach and allow parents to vote with their feet regarding their children's education.

Yours faithfully,

(DR) PETER HIRST

Middlewich.