I assured several worried parents that the collection of pupil nationality data was simply for Department for Education research purposes. It wasn’t. The mandatory data request was not fully explained to schools. It now appears to have been a murky compromise with a Home Office plan to tackle illegal immigration (May wanted to ‘deprioritise’ school places for children of people illegally in UK, theguardian.com, 1 December). Please write out 100 times: “Schools exist to teach and care for children.”
Chris Pyle
Head, Lancaster Royal Grammar School
• In your article on phobias (Fright school, G2, 5 December), you quote the CEO of Anxiety UK saying “Because [phobias] often seem comical and irrational, the media doesn’t take them seriously.” This was immediately proved by your decision to illustrate the article with three large spiders, including one on the front page of the main section. Clearly you don’t get it either!
Jill Wallis
Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire
• As well as sitting on them to do pruning (Letters, 2 December), readers of unwanted Guardian sections can spread them on veg beds in overlapping layers, and then top with mulch or manure to enrich and protect soil over the winter. I like doing this with all those unnecessary photos of Trump, especially now I don’t have cats to provide litter trays for...
Jan Mulreany
Brighton
• The unstapled Sport section pages are easily pulled apart and perfectly sized for skimming the scum from our large bird bath after its use by pigeons. It’s also the only section in which I will find nothing to distract me from the task. Strictly for the birds?
Bill May
Kirkcaldy, Fife
• Professor Pedanticus needs to have a quiet word with Uncle Rebus (Chris Maslanka’s puzzles, 3 December). That’s not a bolt upright, it’s more of a set screw vertical.
Chris Bagust
Aldershot, Hampshire
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• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters
