Teenagers scoring the top mark in the new GCSEs should not be given priority by universities because they are not necessarily the cleverest, a private schools leader has warned.
Barnaby Lenon called on admissions tutors to ignore the new grade 9 for at least a year as only time will tell if it truly indicates greater intellectual ability.
Instead, it could simply show that a candidate can write fast or is good at checking for silly errors, the chairman of the Independent Schools Council said.
Pupils this year sat new, tougher GCSEs in maths, English literature and English language with more rigorous content and a new grading system. Replacing the A* to G scale is a numerical system, with 9 the top mark and 1 the lowest.
Private schools leader Barnaby Lenon has called on admissions tutors to ignore the new grade 9 for at least a year as only time will tell if it truly indicates greater intellectual ability
It allows for better differentiation between the top-performing pupils as there are effectively three top grades – 7, 8 and 9 – rather than just two, A and A*.
Roughly the same proportion of students achieving grade A and above under the old system will achieve a grade 7 and above.
And broadly the same proportion getting a C and above last year will get a 4 and above this year – considered to be a standard pass.
Pupils will get their results on Thursday, with those achieving top grades able to start applying for the elite universities of the Russell Group in just over a year.
Mr Lenon, a former head teacher of Harrow, said he welcomed the changes which will help bring youngsters up to the level of peers in high-performing Asian countries.
He said pupils in several East Asian countries are two years ahead of us by age 16.
‘Does the new grade 9 put more pressure on pupils?’ he said. ‘Yes, a bit. But that was the point.’
However, he said it may be unfair for the time being to penalise those not achieving a grade 9.
For the first time GCSEs are to be ranked from 9 to 1 instead of A* to G, while the amount of coursework pupils are required to do has diminished or been axed all together
He said: ‘Universities should not consider the distinction between an 8 and a 9 worth making until they have evidence that it does indicate something. After all, 95 per cent might get you a grade 8, 96-100 per cent a grade 9.
‘Does the grade 9 student have greater intellectual ability and academic potential or are they simply better at writing fast, or better at checking for silly errors? Only time, and analysis of results, will tell.’
The new system was introduced following concerns that universities were no longer able to pinpoint the truly exceptional candidates because grade inflation had meant so many pupils were achieving top grades.
In 1988, fewer than 10 per cent of GCSE entries were awarded at least an A, compared with around 20 per cent last year. Only a tiny proportion were awarded an A* when the grade was first introduced in 1994, whereas last year it was 6.5 per cent.
In classical subjects, almost 37 per cent of entries got an A* in 2016, while 61 per cent got an A.
This year, less than 5 per cent of entries are expected to achieve the new grade 9 – and high-fliers have been advised not to be disappointed if they only score an 8.
School standards minister Nick Gibb said: ‘The new GCSEs are more rigorous so that young people can gain the knowledge and understanding they need to succeed in the future and compete in an increasingly global workplace.’