I find myself writing to you about a matter which a only a few weeks ago I would have found unbelievable. That Malvern Link CE Primary School should suddenly be given such a stigma-laden label after a suspect allegation and subsequent woolly investigation is quite simply an injustice of the highest order.

"Institutional racism" is an almost useless term in these circumstances. I can assure you, regardless of the depth of study in that school, you will not find anyone capable of thinking in the way this term suggests.

My three children, who attend the school, have now had a practical introduction to the vile concept of racism via the workings of a committee who had no powers or inclination to investigate the motives of those who seek such a verdict. This is called "playing the race card" and always damages cross-cultural communications and detracts from the seriously needed lessons of tolerance and understanding.

I and my children and the large majority of other parents and their children are only familiar with the calm and cheerful determination of all the staff, without exception, to make the best of every day with all the children they teach.

I admit to being a little baffled as to why the school did not offer a staff representative at the hearing in the absence of the headteacher, who was on leave for medical reasons. I suspect that time constraints had a part to play.

There may have been a legitimate complaint about not paying enough attention to a particular child at a particular time - I think this happens to most kids in most schools at some point - but if this is the result of racism, then I ask again, what is the point of this label? Who are the culprits? Where is the proof ? And where do we go from here?

Has anyone in the governorship, the church panel or the LEA considered the possible effect on the fair and equal administering of appropriate school discipline in general? Staff will possibly be over-cautious in their approach to everyday classes and normal and routine 'incidents'. I am all for political correctness as long as it does not undermine simple common sense.

Not only do the staff at the school not have the time for racist attitudes or behaviour, it seems they didn't see the need for a strong defence of the accusation.

But please don't think that they were all unconcerned at the magnitude of the allegation and its implications.

It may well have been their high-level of concern at what is a shocking situation that caused them to fall foul of a misplaced verdict. My conclusion is that they placed too much faith in the investigation which is now, by definition, incomplete, because there was almost no official defence.

I am also confident there would be absolutely no tolerance for serious bullying incidents under any circumstances.

If there were any signs of actual racism in this school, I would have written to you ages ago and placed my children elsewhere. But just so you all know, Malvern Link Church of England School is as racist as a yak is bald!

Mr S Williams, Jamaica Crescent, Malvern.