I would like my son to study GCSE Chinese. His school has said that it cannot provide teaching or, indeed, support of any kind. I thought the government wanted more schools to offer Chinese. Is there anything I can do to persuade the school to be more positive?

Wee-Wah Newstead, Macclesfield

The government might want Chinese to be taught in more schools. The problem is that very few teachers are qualified to teach the subject. You could perhaps offer to run after-school sessions.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) should be able to put you in touch with schools who teach Chinese. You could then see if they are willing to share resources with you. Brighton college pioneered the subject and would be worth a call.

My 11-year-old daughter is due to sit her Sats next month. I would dearly love to prove to her teachers that she is capable of level 4. We are plodding through revision guides and past papers and becoming more and more frustrated. Is it time to forget the tests and go back to enjoying carefree lives?

Sheelagh Ellis, Cambridgeshire

Yes! All parents want their children to do as well as they can, but too much revision can be counterproductive.

The Key Stage 2 tests are valuable because they show how schools, individually and collectively, are performing. They do not have much impact on a child’s future education. In any case, she will probably achieve higher scores if you ease off and have some fun.

My son, who is five years old, was born in August. Studies have highlighted the negative effects of our education system on summer-born children. With this in mind, I asked the head teacher in my son’s state primary if he could be held back a year. I was told that because he has no learning difficulties this would be impossible. Do I have any right to challenge?

R Bennett, Surrey

There is no reason why your son could not be held back a year and you should challenge the head teacher’s decision. Interestingly, the DCSF tells me that a number of parents would like their children to be able to start school later. Ministers have asked Jim Rose, who is conducting a review of the primary school curriculum, to find ways to improve the education of summer-born children. Greater flexibility is, in my view, the solution.

Chris Woodhead is a former chief inspector of schools and now chairman of the private schools group Cognita. If you have a question for him, please write to him c/o The Sunday Times, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST or e-mail him, with your name and address, at education-questions@ sunday-times.co.uk

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