I WRITE regarding your story headlined: "School leavers excluded days before GCSEs", (Bury Times, May 14). I, too, am very upset but not for the same reason as other parents.

You can't imagine my horror at seeing my daughter pictured in the newspaper with the rest of the "fed-up" students after being sent home. They accused the headteacher of "over-reacting" yet the only people I saw over-reacting were the students- my daughter included - running to the Bury Times, only to tell half a story . I was extremely upset and angry.

Every parent knows that the whole safety of the school is the responsibility of the headteacher and, as far as this parent is concerned, his actions were the only ones to be taken in the circumstances.

Instead of wasting time telling tales to the Bury Times, the students could have helped the situation by letting staff know exactly who had carried out these barbaric deeds. Everybody knows that clowns who play such stupid pranks take delight in playing to an audience. Year 11 should have stood up to them if saying goodbye to their friends and having the leavers' service and presentation of Records of Achievement meant so much to them.

They were all warned the week before that action would be taken if they did not behave. They were told one hour before the end of the school day that they were being sent home to start study leave one day early. Nothing, I believe, was ever mentioned about exclusion.

My daughter spent her "early study leave" writing letters of apology to the headteacher and her head of year. She now deeply regrets her over-reaction and, like me, would like to thank the headteacher, her head of year and the rest of the staff, for their dedicated hard work throughout her five years at Bury Church of England High School.

Incidentally, just who exactly were the mindless few trying to hurt by releasing maggots and cockroaches in the school? As far as I can see the only people who suffered were the people who had to clean up the mess, Mr and Mrs Tyson, the caretaker and assistant caretaker. It was not a job I would have wanted to do and I am quite certain no other parent would have wanted to do it either.

YEAR 11 PARENT,

Bury CE High School

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