Hardly any school is without its share of bullies and victims, but the story of 14-year-old Ian Finnie gives special cause for concern.

It is not reasonable that this lad now has to be taught at home by his mother Fiona and his guardian Graham Kidd because, they claim, bullies at Churchfields School have made his life intolerable. And it's a great pity that they, the LEA and the school's senior staff have not been able to get round a table and work out a sensible solution to the problem. We are not impressed by the head's disinclination to comment on this case.

An answer must be found before Ian's education suffers any more than it has already done.