Monday is a big day in the Harford household: my oldest daughter will start school. That is a cue for the full spectrum of middle-class parental emotions: nostalgia for the toddler she once was; pride at seeing her reach a new stage of independence; and, of course, anxiety that the school will not be good enough for our little darling.

We have been given few reasons to fret about the quality of the teaching, but like many parents we’re nervous about the impact our daughter’s peers may have on her, many of whom are from deprived backgrounds or homes where nobody speaks English. Will the teacher be distracted by the need to teach the class skills she already has?