LETTER: Couldn’t be happier with school

I can understand the frustration of parents who don’t get their first choice but to publicly slate such a super little school because it happens to be the closest with available space is no basis for judging how good it is in providing the service for which intended.

Stedham was my first choice and I couldn’t be happier with the school. They have a fantastic teaching team, dedicated supporters and fundraising team, all with a proactive approach to continuous improvement. I am also grateful to Stedham School and West Sussex County Council for giving my family another option to the larger schools that are so popular.

Not everyone wants to put their child into a large school, crammed with as many pupils and few staff as legislation will allow. Nor are we all drawn in by fancy equipment or historic OFSTED reports. When choosing a school for my child what mattered to me most was the quality of the management and teaching team in post and whether they would provide a primary education suited to my child, as a person and not a statistic.

My daughter would not be happy in a class of 30 children, nor do I personally believe a teacher coping with this number of children can give my daughter the attention she needs during her crucial primary education years.

My daughter is thoroughly enjoying her time at Stedham. The smaller, closer atmosphere is much more appropriate to her personality and she is thriving under the realm of the teaching team who are able to provide a quality and enjoyable teaching environment for the children.

Being smaller and more personal, Stedham offer a much closer pupil, parent and teacher relationship allowing provision of the best state primary education for my family.

Sarah Constable

Midhurst