WE have recently been looking at schools to apply for September 2007 for our daughter.

We have read numerous proposals from the council about secondary schools in Southampton and the reasons for closure or merging them. The comments last week from various parents concerned at how the schools are becoming full because of the recent influx of immigrants is so true! How will the schools cope?

One proposal is to close either Regent's Park Girls' School or Bellemoor Boys School and either build another school on St Mark's Junior School site or merge it with Bellemoor - why?

We recently attended Regents Park's open evening and were very impressed. They scored grade one (outstanding) in their Ofsted report last month. Why has this not been published in the Daily Echo?

How can the council possibly be even thinking of closing or even merging this school with another which is not performing well and had a low Ofsted report? How many other schools in Southampton or even Hampshire got a grade one?

The head teacher of Regent's Park must have worked very hard to get a grade one rating and the inspectors must think she is running a fantastic school to award such a mark.

The council needs to look at what they are proposing very carefully as this girls school seems to be doing well as a single sex school!

MRS K J BRICKNELL, Southampton.