Ashley Best-White, executive headteacher at Old Catton Junior School, says her school was "never consulted" by Old Catton Parish Council as part of its plan to permanently remove access from the school gate to a neighbouring driveway off Church Street. Ms Best-White has since written to this newspaper emphasising the school was only notified of the council's decision shortly before the term ended. The parish clerk, Sarah Vincent, said in response: "The parish council accepts that the decision to permanently withdraw the permissive access arrangement was a formal decision of full council and was not itself the subject of consultation with the school. "Following the council's decision, the governing board expressed its disappointment but also stated that it considered there to be little value in continuing further discussions. "The council's previous comments referred to that wider course of engagement rather than suggesting the school supported the council's decision."