Reform of exams '˜biggest bugbear' for Leeds teachers and children

Sue Woodroofe said her “biggest bugbear” was the amount of change in the system allowed to take place whenever a new Secretary of State wants to make their mark.

It follows the publication of secondary school league tables, which revealed that an increasing number of schools were falling below the Government’s performance threshold.

The national rise comes amid major changes to England’s exams system, including the introduction of a new grading system, which has meant the data includes English and maths GCSE results awarded new 9-1 grades while other subjects received traditional A*-G.

School leaders said the new grading system affecting English and maths has complicated the way school performance is calculated, as it has to be worked out using a combination of old and new systems.

Mrs Woodroofe said: “Whatever the system is, I will be happy when the Government gives it the time to be bedded in so teachers can prepare as well as they can to support the children and the children have as much time as possible to become grounded in the new system and know the expectations.

“Very often the changes set in motion by the Secretary of State don’t impact the children until they have gone on and got another job. They are not there to see it through.”

Mrs Woodroofe’s comments come ahead of the 10-year anniversary since GSAL merged its two founding schools, Leeds Grammar School and Leeds Girls’ High School, to form a co-educational school. It has 2,100 pupils and is the UK’s largest independent co-educational school.