I felt very angry reading your report about Ravenscroft and Whitefields schools being threatened by the Government with special measures if they don't achieve a certain percentage of GCSE A to C grade passes (Pass GCSEs or class dismissed', Times Series, June 12).

I agree with Mary Karaolis's criticism of the Government. This is a short-sighted, unrealistic attitude towards the issue of educational achievement. Many of the children who attend these two schools are not from academically supportive backgrounds and will struggle to achieve the results necessary to meet Government targets.

Unlike some schools, Ravenscroft will be honest enough to enter all eligible pupils for GCSE exams, regardless of whether they are likely to achieve D to G passes.

As Mrs Karaolis states, Ravenscroft's vaule-added score is very high and the school should be receiving deserved credit for this achievement, not this unhelpful criticism which lowers staff and student morale.

In the past week, research was published which demonstrated that wherever there are a number of selective schools, the less academically able children, who would lower their school's position in the league tables, will be placed in the remainder, and some of these establishments will become unfairly marked as sink schools'. This undesirable trend is now occurring in Barnet.

My son and his friends attended The Ravenscroft School and have gone on to do extremely well in their chosen fields. Mrs Karaolis has always been dedicated to the progress and wellbeing of her pupils and I am sure many more of them will achieve their full potential, whatever occupations they follow.

Elisabeth Vandyk, Finchley Way, West Finchley