Sir –The report, Academy Plans Unveiled (March 26), is further bad news for the community in South-East Oxford.

The current status of the three secondary schools in the area gives them considerable autonomy from the local education authority, the most significant factor being their power to select their student intake.

Some may not be selected by any of these schools so what will happen to them? It remains the responsibility of the LEA to provide places, preferably within their local community. Are we to see a repeat of the problems in North Oxford?

The secret discussions revealed concerning Academy status for Oxford School, show the governors are having a re-think. The chairman of governors in a letter to you in May 2008 wrote, ‘our recent move to Foundation status......in no way detracts from our full commitment to being an Oxfordshire state school....’ Why have they changed their minds?

Millions have already been spent upgrading the three schools to 11-18 age range secondaries. Now £33m is to be spent on the new Oxford Academy plus an additional huge amount for the proposed upgrade to Academy status for Oxford School. Let’s speculate a sum in excess of £100m? Who is paying for all this? The educational improvements remain low.

In 2004, Oxford School achieved 31 per cent pass rate at GCSE A*-C grade and 23 per cent in 2008. The figures for Peers are 20 per cent and 18 per cent. St Gregory’s has improved from 33 per cent to 44 per cent.

The county council ruling party has no interest in SE Oxford because there are no votes to be gained and appear to be happy to abandon the community.

I wish the Oxford Anti-Academy Alliance every success in their opposition to this continued disorganisation.

Martin Thomas, Retired headteacher, Temple Cowley Middle School, Abingdon