I am writing in response to your article ‘Mother-of-two slams council after daughter left without schooling for two months’ (Harrow Times, January 22).

As I explained in the article, we understand the frustration of parents when they are not able to get a place at one of their preferred schools. Our officers work hard every day to process applications and to accommodate the requests of parents were possible.

Unfortunately, a place at a preferred school is not always available and an alternative is offered because of the limited numbers of places. We are currently in the middle of a school expansion programme across the borough, which will reduce this pressure and increase the number of places. However, it is irresponsible to suggest that the performance of a school is unsatisfactory and to speculate that the “safety of the school is inadequate”.

The safety of our residents is of paramount importance to the council, especially the safety of our children and young people while at school and in the wider community. I want to set the record straight as a parent myself.

If I thought any child would be placed in environment that was not conducive to teaching excellence, I would take action immediately. I want to reassure all parents that we monitor the standards of schools regularly and Ofsted has rated 87 per cent of our schools good or excellent.

Councillor Simon Brown

Lab/Headstone South Portfolio holder for children, schools and young people Harrow Borough Council