Sir - Your article (April 11) suggests dogged campaigning by parents has forced the county council into meeting their demands for sixth form provision at our special schools. The truth is rather different.

The Conservative administration at the county council was formed after the May 2005 landslide election.

The Choice parent action group fed into directorate discussions and post-16 SEN education was made a priority for action by the end of year. 2006 was a year of protracted discussions with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) as funding body with the LSC undertaking to explore our problem but, initially, making no commitment to provide the necessary funds.

By the beginning of 2007 and after discussions with our MPs, we felt that LSC procrastination had gone on long enough and we proposed a meeting with the relevant minister. Andrew Smith MP accessed a meeting for us on February 19 with Education Minister Bill Rammell who required the LSC to respond to our unique position.

In the meantime, we made a budget commitment setting aside funding in our medium-term plan as an act of good faith. Further hesitation from the LSC led to a face-to-face meeting with their new director, Bob Walding, at the beginning of October 2007. He undertook to come back before Christmas with a response. The subsequent LSC December offer met only part of the need and the county council will now fund the rest. All this pending the redirection of post-16 SEN funding through local authorities in 2010 via a national formula. Our administration at County Hall not only led the battle but has been the main contributor to solving a historic problem.

Keith R Mitchell, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council