I also welcome the news that Tony Alexander has recovered from his car accident injuries and has returned to work as principal of Exmouth Community College.

I do not know Mr Alexander, nor have any involvement with the college, but must urge him not to pay any attention to the extreme views of your correspondent, Jack Cade, (June 23), where he is urging Mr Alexander to “weed out armchair socialists on his staff and show them the door”.

I am sure that Mr Alexander knows very well that to sack employees on the basis of their political views is in contravention of employment law, but this letter allows me to make a serious point.

Exmouth Community College is now an Academy and Mr Alexander is empowered to take such staffing decisions as he thinks fit. I am sure Mr Alexander would not abuse his position in this way, but there are some principals who have allowed their newly-found power to go to their heads and have abused it.

I also take issue with the comment that Academies must be run as effective businesses. Schools are places of learning and education and not there to make profits and churn out products.

Mr Cade also appears to contradict himself, as I thought that Academies were created with the express purpose of ensuring grade A’s for as many pupils as possible, despite the fact that this is unrealistic, and, ideally, all pupils should be encouraged to achieve their own individual potential, which may not be academic, and develop into happy and fulfilled citizens able to contribute meaningfully to society.

Elinor Scott

(via email).