THE head of Bolton’s top performing school says the government is just “tinkering” with the examination system rather than bringing in radical changes.

Under an exams revamp, traditional GCSE grades are to be scrapped and replaced with a numbered scale, with one more grade added as part of a bid to distinguish between the brightest students.

Philip Britton, head of Bolton School boys’ division, said there was work to be done and questions asked and challenges to avoid the confusion that occurred when GCSEs were first introduced.

Pupils will be marked from one to nine, nine being the highest mark available. There are currently eight grades A* to G.

Coursework from English language and English literature will be removed, to be replaced with exams at the end of the course.

Mr Britton said: “As a selective school we would obviously welcome assessment structures that allow excellence to be acknowledged.

“However, after this announcement there is much detailed work to be done to ensure the assessment actually facilitates useful learning for the pupils rather than hinders it.

“Sensible accountability measures will also be needed to avoid state schools which have to follow those league tables having to make choices that are good for the school but perhaps not so good for individual pupils.”

Mr Britton said that “obvious and sensible questions” would be asked about how the grades compared to the older ones, and what counts as a pass grade.

He said: “This is a well worn road that often causes confusion rather than improvement.

“It also usually tends to devalue the achievements of the less able, as some grades are not really pass grades.

“For one year group some exams will be numbers and some letter grades. For several years employers will be faced with job candidates with different qualifications.

“In a way, all the reforms, while presented as major, are still tinkering and not radical.

“Employers want to know about basic skills.

“Higher education and some courses and jobs need to know more detail about individual subjects. That is where grades come in.”