Sir, – Everyone involved with the Wensleydale School and Sixth Form in Leyburn will have been shocked and saddened to hear of the untimely death of Graham Parker from a heart attack, just a few weeks after he left his post as headteacher at the school.

I hope the recent reporting of his departure from the school, linking this to a drop in exam grades, had not added to the pressure he was evidently feeling when he took the decision to leave. His death is enormously sad because he leaves a wife and three young children, and he was clearly a devoted family man. In addition though, the many, many tributes on Facebook and elsewhere show, for anyone who was unaware, in just what high regard he was held by all who knew and worked with him in schools across our region, and in particular by the pupils he taught. I know his A Level English class at Wensleydale will never forget his inspirational teaching and enthusiasm.

Clearly there have been some problems, but over the last three years under Mr Parker’s leadership the Wensleydale School has improved in many respects; the fantastic new library, major improvements to the social spaces, excellent food and the caring and respectful attitudes of the students. These improvements have not always been widely appreciated or recognised, despite Mr Parker’s regular encouragement to parents to come in and see the school at work for themselves. A successful school depends on a supportive and open partnership between the whole leadership team, all of the teachers, the governors, the local authority as well as the pupils and their parents. No single individual, however visionary and well-intentioned, can run a successful school without such support.

Each and every one of us who is connected with the school in any way should perhaps look into our hearts and reflect on how we might better support the school in the future. Our small school needs to attract pupils in order to remain financially secure, and the retention of the Sixth Form is vital to maintain the quality of teaching for all. The values, integrity and humanity which Mr Parker brought to the school should be recognised and celebrated in shaping its future, and inspire confidence that the school can continue to deliver the high quality and well-rounded education which the young people of Wensleydale deserve.

PIPPA MERRICKS

Finghall, Leyburn.