I AM writing in response to your article last week concerning the ‘disappointing’ meeting at the Dean Academy which I also attended along with around 50 other parents.

First of all, the letter notifying parents of the meeting clearly stated that its purpose was to outline how the Athelstan Trust proposes to move the school out of special measures, and that is what Mr Gilson and Mr Barrett, the Acting Head, explained.

They made it very clear that things weren’t going to change overnight and personally I found it refreshing that there was no attempt to gloss over anything or underestimate the size of the task that the school and its leaders face.

Having said that Mr Gilson and Mr Barrett appeared confident that they and the school were capable of achieving the many improvements that are necessary.

I think that the Athelstan Trust may offer a new beginning for the Dean Academy in a way that Prospects, the previous sponsors, never did.

They are professionals with a proven and successful track record and there is also now a genuine change in the leadership of the school, which will be cemented by the appointment of a new headteacher in 2016.

Lydney wants, needs and deserves a thriving secondary school, and I think to achieve that we have to look forward.

Parents have already been notified of another meeting planned for March where questions can be asked and progress reviewed.

I hope that there will be many more in attendance at that meeting because without the support of parents no school can be truly successful.

– Joanne Howard, Lydney.