LAST Thursday I attended the prize-giving at Baxter College. I wished for a glimpse of the school after all the changes that have occurred.

I hoped that dramatic improvements would be visible as letters from parents disappointed at the prospect of their children going to the school, distressingly frequent in 2001 and 2002, have ceased this year and official reports are showing a significant climb in measures of value added by the school.

I was not disappointed! From walking through the door one felt an air of optimism and confidence and an unmistakable feeling of mutual respect and genuine affection between staff and students.

Over 70 prizes were won, not only for high achievements but for sterling efforts. Interestingly citations for awards were given with humour and sincerity by the member of staff responsible for the award.

This allowed staff to show their pleasure in their students' achievements and added greatly to the occasion.

We were entertained by the highly acclaimed school band with its talented vocalists. Incidentally the band is looking for a name on which to build its growing reputation.

I was delighted that Dave Seddon, the headteacher, received his own prestigious award at the ceremony. It is richly deserved for welding the excellent staff, both new and old, and the students into such an effective unit from which we will see not only increasingly good academic results but also young people emerging with a true sense of values who will then contribute fully to their chosen communities.

Without deprecating church school status I hope the LEA will understand that to impose this on Baxter College as in the current proposal, against the wishes of staff, parents and governors would disrupt the school with another major change just at a time when stability is vital to allow the progress, so convincingly begun. to continue.

Another successful occasion was the concert in Chaddesley Village Hall in aid of a hospital for disabled children in Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia.

We all know of the poverty and suffering of the huge numbers of children in war-ravaged parts of the globe like Iraq and Darfur. But it took a group of young musicians from Steve Carrigans' Sounds Electric Music Academy organised by Tiffany and Azima Crumpton and their friends to tell us that this hospital cannot even afford wheelchairs for parents to use to take their children to hospital.

The concert ably compered by Steve raised over £450.

The annual Christmas Concert performed by Stourport Choral and Operatic Society was on the same evening and so my wife and daughter went to this and enjoyed the Christmas music with the choir's original and riotous rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas with animation and full audience participation.

I am constantly reminded how privileged we are at Christmas in contrast to so many others in the world.