There were further calls for reform of the A-level system this week after an inspection report on Eton College suggested that its students, most of whom achieved As or Bs, were not being stretched by the exam.
The inspection report also criticised the Etonian “rip” system, whereby teachers at the 600-year-old school tear the pages of a pupil’s work to show their unhappiness with it.
“Pupils find the ‘rip’ system unhelpful...(it) does not always produce the desired effect, especially if the work is physically ripped apart,” said the report which said standards at Eton were exceptional.