AS a parent of a pupil at St Lawrence's Church of England Primary School, I wish to respond to your report about exclusions from the school (June 24).

As with any other school, the staff at St Lawrence's have to meet the needs of pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and family circumstances. I know of the efforts made by staff to engage all pupils, even the hardest to reach.

The staff are to be commended on their tremendous successes in this area. Making all pupils feel they are valued and have a contribution to make to the school community is vital in helping children become responsible adults.

I only hope that the attention given to the exclusion figures will not undermine the dedicated efforts of staff. Building trust between school and community is a vital part of the work of the school, and trust can be so easily undermined.

The attention given to an isolated incident does not fairly represent the school.

Catherine Leonard,

Millfield Lane, York.

Updated: 10:59 Friday, July 01, 2005