AS a former chair of governors of The Chase (1992-2005), I should like to challenge two fallacious ideas which seem to have come out of that school in the last year.

One is that the school was not a high-achieving establishment under its previous head teachers.

Anyone who has had contact with The Chase over the last 25 years will know there has been a consistent stream of students attaining the highest grades in GCSE and A-level and gaining places at Oxbridge and other prestigious universities.

The second and shocking suggestion is that for the school to maintain and improve on its fine academic record it must de-select students with different kinds of ability and aspiration.

The mission statement The Chase adopted in 1995 was, "This school seeks to encourage and reward excellence of every kind, to enable all pupils to achieve their full potential and become successfully independent, and to stress the importance of caring inter-dependence".

Over the years the school has been notable for the high level of support and encouragement given to students who need a less academic curriculum, and to those with specific learning difficulties.

With such students, as equally with academic high-flyers, the school has achieved notable successes.

Excellence does not mean exclusivity; rather, inclusivity has been at the heart of the school's ethos.

I pray that what has been precious and special about the school for so many years may not now be lost.

Heather Williamson

Malvern