Education Business

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) has launched new research, looking at how pupils across all sectors would have performed had the A* qualification been awarded in 2009.

Had the qualification been awarded, 36.5 per cent of all A*s would have gone to pupils at ISC schools and an estimated 16.5 per cent of all ISC A-level entries would have been awarded an A*.

At ISC schools, 29.8 per cent of A grades would have been an A*.

The percentage of pupils that would have achieved an A* grade varies significantly across subjects, for example, 50.1 per cent of A grades in Further Maths would have been awarded an A*, compared to 13.3 per cent in Media Studies.

Finally, the research found variation between 2007, 2008 and 2009, indicating that the percentage of A grades that would have been an A* in specific subjects does not appear to have remained stable between these years, with the overall rate varying from 27.4 per cent in 2008 to 29.8 per cent in 2009.

ISC Chief Executive, David Lyscom, said: "The awarding of the A* this summer raises two issues. First, the expected performance of pupils in the independent sector is likely to underline the academic benefits of an independent education."

"Second, with some universities already making offers including the A* grade, the apparent inconsistency suggested by this research could see very good candidates losing out on university places unfairly."

Further information:
ISC