PRIMARY school heads across Bolton are throwing away in disgust a letter from education minister Stephen Twigg telling them that they must try harder to improve English and maths results.

Key figures in the town's teaching circles have reacted with fury to the letter, branding it unprofessional, unhelpful, ill-advised and patronising.

Mr Twigg has written to primary headteachers across the country -- regardless of levels of improvement or results they have achieved -- telling them he wanted to see "significant improvements" in this year's Key Stage one and two tests.

One in four children nationally still leave primary school without having achieved satisfactory standards.

David Johnson, chairman of the Bolton Primary Headteachers Partnership, said the headteachers he had spoken to about the letter were incensed.

Mr Johnson, headteacher at Red Lane CP School in Breightmet, said: "I think he has a cheek. Headteachers are already trying very hard to do their very best for pupils. To send out this letter to every school irrespective of performance is outrageous.

"I thought it was uninformed and not very motivational."

Mr Johnson added that the letter did nothing to help schools build for the future.

He added: "If I worked like that with my staff I would never get anything out of them."

Richard Palframan, regional secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said he thought the letter patronised educational professionals.

"If I was a headteacher, binning the letter would be the most gentle thing I would do with it."

Jack Hatch, treasurer of the National Association of Headteachers -- and head at St Bedes School in Morris Green -- said: "I think it was a most unfortunate letter. It was very ill advised.

"There is nothing wrong with having aspirational targets. We all want to do the best for every single child in the school, but we have to accept that some times it is not possible to get certain children to the sort of levels a Government minister has decided."

He added that when schools have no chance of reaching unrealistic target it can demoralise them.

Mr Twigg has been reported as saying that he had wanted to write to all primaries reminding them of their importance to the Government and in no way meant to give the impression that all he was concerned about was literacy and numeracy targets.