I feel it's a real shame that the changes to Whitecross School, Lydney, have all come across in the papers as so negative.

I guess many people worry about change and how it will affect their children. It's understandable. Putting aside the name/uniform change that the academy status will bring with it, it is just possible that the education and exam results and many other things may improve and get the school back out of special measures. Let time prove otherwise and if not, then we can all have a good moan.

As a parent of a child at Whitecross, all I want to see is my child happy, confident and to come out of the school with some good exam results, enabling her to be able to chose where she would like to go next. If she has to wear a smart uniform while doing this, does that really matter? I hated my uniform, as a child, who didn't?

Sometimes in life, choices are made for you and we don't always like them but maybe we should give this new academy a chance and see how it goes before we condemn it.

Also, it was lovely to read last week that a young lady had concerns about the environmental cost of the changes. Maybe the school should heed this and reassure the children that they will recycle all they can and maybe have a "bag to school" for the clothes and raise money for a good cause at the same time.

Nothing should go to waste in these hard times. Well pointed out Emily!

– Barbara Burgess, Lydney.