SOME parents of Huntington School pupils have banded together to form a support group. They have criticised the ethos of the school, saying only academically able students flourish there.

The school has a duty to respond to this latest example of parent power.

Yet we must place it in context. The Parents For Pupils Forum represents a handful of children in York's biggest school. Huntington has achieved consistently good examination results for pupils of all abilities and has received glowing Ofsted reports.

Moreover, of the three key children, one has vandalised teachers' cars and the other two damaged Christmas lights outside a staff member's house.

These are more than "schoolboy pranks", they are acts of criminal damage. This suggests that the parents involved should also be examining the ethos at home.

Updated: 12:54 Thursday, March 04, 2004