Sir - Your report (March 2) gives an enthusiastic welcome to the improvement shown at Key Stage 3 for 2006 in all county schools. In my letter published in December 2003 I stated that we should wait until 2006 before passing any judgement on the performance of city schools following the re-organisation.

Cheney and Oxford Community schools have results which are below those for 2004 and 2005 in English and Maths along with their average points and value-added scores. Peers School has improved in Maths and Science, but not in English compared with the previous two years. The subject results for Cherwell School are better than 2004, but compared to 2005 show a decline in English and for value-added.

It is significant that 2004 is the last year that students who had attended middle schools for three years took the Key Stage 3 Tests in the 'new' schools. Further, the results for 2003 are better overall for Cheney, Oxford Community and Peers. Cherwell's results are marginally better.

A nationally recognised outcome of a re-organisation is the 'knock on' effect upon nearby schools unaffected by the changes. This is evident in the considerable improvements in the results for Matthew Arnold and Wheatley Park schools from 2003 to 2006. This is attributable to the influx of mainly more able students from the south east Oxford and Headington catchment areas whose parents transferred them to avoid the disruption of the re-organisation.

These gains are at the expense of Oxford Community and Cheney schools whose 2006 results are below those achieved before the re-organisation.

The re-organisation has not brought about, 'the improvement in the educational achievement in city secondary schools,' the mantra repeated by politicians and educational administrators who forced through the change.

Martin Thomas, Retired headteacher,Temple Cowley Middle School