THE parents of students at Elgar Technology College have defended the school after it was revealed that an emergency governors' meeting had been called to discuss an impending Ofsted report.

On Tuesday, we reported that governors had seen a draft report that was produced following an inspection a few weeks ago and, one of them, Worcestershire county councillor John Buckley, had said the Bilford Road, Worcester, school was now at crisis point The school's chairman of governors Gill Hellings said Wednesday night's meeting had been a chance for governors to put their changes and challenges to the draft report before Ofsted published its final verdict. She said: "I'm a parent with a daughter at Elgar and I really have no problem with my daughter's education.

"People often forget we have made a huge amount of progress. Clearly, we have issues but we have a lot of very good students."

Following our story, people have posted comments on a forum on the Worcester News website.

One of them, tonyuk, entitled his posting: "Will it be special measures?" Special measures is a term used by Ofsted when a school is failing to provide an acceptable level of education.

tonyuk wrote: "Having watched the situation at the school with interest I find it now at a crossroads as to what it will do.

"Results have been very low over the past few years - a situation which a teacher with a few years' standing could tell you how to turn around (let alone a headteacher)."

Another posting by Julie said: "I am sick of the fact that Elgar is made to be such a bad school. Three of my children have been there, one is still there and achieving very good results."

Another writer, Worcester 1990, said: "Whatever anyone says, Elgar Technology College is not a bad school!! I am sick of Elgar being the subject of bad press. Why is it not mentioned that they are in the top 100 most improving schools in the UK, that exam results are consistently improving, that they put on fantastic school plays?"

WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY"How about attacking the education and the Goverment for a change and give Elgar Technology College a break and spend some money where it needs spending for a change."

Worcester 1990 - "I know that the school has improved over the last five years and was a lot worse five years ago but was not in special measures. Why should it go into it now?

"Both of my sons attended and have/are doing really well. I have no regrets of sending them there and hope everyone ignores newspaper reports and believes what us parents think.

"Yes, there are some poorly- behaved pupils but has this got anything to do with the catchment being in the top 10 most deprived areas of the country?

Posted by Julie

"I have one child at Elgar and doing very well, having been predicted As, Bs and Cs for GCSEs. My younger child will be going this September by choice. All the failing talk about the school forgets about the majority of fantastic kids who go. They are feeling tainted and under-valued. Let us recognise the good and not focus on just what needs improving."

Posted by Fossil