Sir - I agree with Tony Buley (Letters, February 15) about the importance of qualifications in English and mathematics. Students had to qualify in those subjects last summer to be included in the GCSE five higher grades' benchmark. He asks how Oxfordshire students would have rated on the new benchmark if it had been used in previous years.

The Government's tables provide the answer. Between 2004 and 2007 Oxfordshire's figure went up by 5.5 per cent on the new measure (from 42.1 to 47.6) whilst the national average only went up by 3.4 per cent (from 42.6 to 46.0). However, one reason that the new director has cautioned against complacency is that nearly all of Oxfordshire's increase was between 2004 and 2006 with only a further 0.3 per cent being added in 2007.

As ever in education, we have to say Well done!' and Let's see how we can do even better next time!' Alan Lane, Former head of Cheney School Abingdon