Madam, I was very interested in your views and observations as written in the Editor's piece in August 10th edition of the Ross Gazette.

I agree wholeheartedly that the modern day classroom is usually far too 'busy' in terms of environment and needs calming right down.

We are beginning to realise the detrimental effects of 'sensory overload' on our children, but persist in trying to cram too much in when they are at school.

I urge any parent with concerns about their child's education to google 'Steiner Waldorf' and bask in the common sense this pedagogy is based on.

We have the amazing Hereford Steiner Academy on our doorstep. I have been privileged to spend some time there as a Classroom Assistant where my eyes were opened to how it should be. I was in Class One where the children, in their seventh year, were commencing formal education.

I then spent time working as a Teaching Assistant in a state Primary School, with fractious and unsettled four and five year olds.

Two quotes spring to mind: 'Education is a journey, not a race' and 'Education is not filling buckets, but lighting fires.'

Diane Coverdale, Cert Ed