FIRSTLY, I would like to say that I have read your story (EA July 24) concerning Headlands School. It is a very sad set of circumstances.

I am an employee at the school and work daily with the difficulties that every member of staff has to overcome before education can even begin. I am constantly bemused by the fact that eight out of ten times we have been represented in the press it is not for good reasons, whereas schools such as Kingsdown only have the successes reported on.

I feel it needs to be pointed out that much good goes on within Headlands with more in the pipeline to encourage our students to see school and education as fun, not just something they have to do.

We have students with wonderful musical ability but a school and families who do not have the money to do all that is necessary.

We have now and have had good sportsmen, we currently have about eight students who left in 1999 and are studying at university.

Unfortunately, every small step we have taken over the last few years seems to have been ignored and our triumphs snatched away, leaving many hurt, angry and disappointed people.

I truly believe that nowhere would you find a more committed group of individuals than in Headlands School. Each of us have our own reasons for working in a school that has challenges so great as we see every day. I feel that the improvements being expected of us by the Local Education Authority are unrealistic, they have not looked at the bigger picture.

Hilary Pitts herself has said that she has not actually seen how the lessons work at Headlands. When challenged she agreed to come in, I, as I am sure others agree, look forward wholeheartedly to her standing by her word. It would be interesting to see how she feels and how her views change after two weeks of being there.

We have hundreds of students who with the back-up of home and school will succeed. However there are some who don't have all the necessary support to move forward. The school cannot do this alone.

Headlands is a community school,. We need more input from the parents, carers, extended families, local shopowners and businesses to make a success of our children's future.

People are always pointing the finger at Headlands' students and demanding that the school make it right. What everyone has to realise is schools do not have the power they had 20 years ago.

Since the Children's Act was introduced, the rights have been given to the children and taken away from the adults.

Some parents refuse to allow their children to do detention, other than exclusion the school can do nothing else.

Exclusion great, a day or more off for being disruptive is this punishment extended to the home?

Bring back the power to the adults and maybe there will be less problems. ASBO's have been brought in because the downward trend has to stop in the community, what chance does Headlands have on its own?

We need everyone's support now, not condemnation.

(Full name and address supplied.)