I WAS somewhat dismayed to see a picture in the Bucks Free Press of June 3, of a notice outside a town centre caf, referring to the ban on pupils from Sir William Ramsay School, Hazlemere.

It was headed "caf boss bans hooded youths."

Whilst I can understand that people have a problem with groups of young people, who congregate in groups and use the hood to conceal their identities rather than make a fashion statement, I believe it grossly unfair to castigate all the population of a school for the antisocial antics of one or two pupils.

My daughter attends Sir William Ramsay School (SWR) and I sometimes take her to school and see the pupils both in and out of school.

I can honestly say that their behaviour is no different from those of pupils of other schools.

The school does not condone bad or antisocial behaviour and indeed has a positive policy of rewarding good behaviour and not tolerating bad behaviour, as was made clear to new pupils and their parents at the induction evening last year.

SWR offers a citizenship course, which requires students to actively participate in supporting local and school community activities.

As a result the school is helping to turn out responsible citizens for our community.

Last year SWR pupils helped Manor Farm School to support teachers with reading programmes, whilst this year SWR pupils are to offer home help to needy residents.

I was also pleasantly surprised, during a parents' evening a couple of weeks ago, that Year Eight pupils were collecting for a school in The Gambia.

SWR has also received a Gold Award by the Arts Council, after being granted an arts status.

It also has a thriving parents' association, a supportive school governing body and a dedicated team of teachers under a new head, who is aware of the challenges which she and her staff as well as the pupils face.

Unfortunately, negative headlines do not help schools such as SWR because "perceived" bad reputations are remembered even after the schools themselves have moved on.

It is therefore less than fair or just, if not downright irresponsible, to blame the whole school for the misbehaviour of one or two of its pupils, who could easily have been wearing uniforms of other local schools.

Cllr Rafiq Raja, Member for Bowerdean Ward, Wycombe District Council