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State Schools (Independence)

I agree about that. I believe the qualification has been accredited with exactly the same value as an A-level for university admissions, but there is always a danger that it will be seen as a lesser qualification, because it does not carry that tag. Something else that the academy’s head teacher has done is to offer pupils payments according to their exam results. Staff discuss with pupils, before they sit their exams, the grades that they hope for. A system is operating in which, if they exceed expectations, they get an extra £10 or so. Pupils tend, at the end of the year, to walk away with £300 or £400. That is something that middle-class parents do all the time. They promise their kids that if they do well in their exams they can have driving lessons, a computer or a holiday. The head teacher can do something similar through managing the school budget. I spoke to a group of pupils who had just finished their GCSEs last year, and although it was not the only incentive for them to work, as they were a quite motivated bunch of children anyway, knowing that they would finish their GCSEs with money in their pocket was an incentive too.