This is far too complex and important an issue to be reduced to entrenched positions and mudslinging. The one thing we should all agree on is that what ever solution is right for each individual child, the needs of the child are paramount and should always be put before other considerations (parents' ideological positions, prejudices, bete noirs etc).

My son's school is great for average kids. However they are rubbish at meeting the needs of kids with additional learning needs (such as my son who is a bit too young to test but has many of the classic signs of dyslexia) or kids who are especially gifted. Ofsted panned them for it in the last inspection and so far the reaction seems to be to bury their heads in the sand and try to minimise the problems some of the kids have got in order to wish them away.

The rub is, that my son loves going to school. He likes all the class teachers he has had, (and especially likes the teacher who gives him his paltry 20 minutes three times a week of specialist group work), has a great set of pals, gets loads of encouragement and praise for his work etc. The downside is that he is starting to become aware he is falling behind his peers and trying to do the work is something that absolutely exhausts him. Things will probably get worse as spelling tests and so on are introduced.

Personally I wouldn't want to take him out of school - he's got great social skills and a daily opportunity to use them - and also I don't believe I have the knowledge or skills to give him a well rounded education myself. Our solution is to try to find him additional specialist support ourselves - and luckily we're able to manage this financially. We don't want to get him tested for dyslexia privately at this stage because even if the test is the same one used by the LEA, they won't recognise it and will insist on retesting themselves (though there is evidence that the test is less accurate second time around).

To some extent we have to wait and see, and be led by what our son needs. I'm just glad that in spite of the fact he has a school that couldn't manage a special needs budget to save its life, at least he has good, caring, skilled teachers.