One third of private school pupils awarded A* at GCSE

THE average teenager attending a private school scored the equivalent of two A* grades and seven As at GCSE, according to analysis.

Almost one third of GCSE entries from private school pupils were awarded the top grade this year, according to research from the Independent Schools Council (ISC). This is compared with 6.6 per cent nationally.

Figures also showed nearly two thirds of entries were awarded A* and A grades. This compares to 21 per cent nationally.

The average private school teenager’s results have been the same since 2012. In 2011, they were higher, gaining three A*s and six As. The ISC put this change down to a halt in grade inflation.

The percentage of A*s gained by pupils at fee-paying schools is 32.9 per cent, up marginally from 32.7 per cent last year. This marks a rise from 2012, when that number was 31 per cent, and in 2013 it was 32 per cent.

The number of exams scoring either A* or A is also rising slowly: this year it was 60.8 per cent, up slightly from 60.6 per cent last year.

In 2012, that number was 60 per cent, and in 2013 it was 60.4 per cent.

The results of A-levels paint a different picture: this year, students at topperforming state schools outclassed those at private schools.

Research based on official Department for Education figures found that England’s best 500 state schools are outperforming the top 500 private schools. The Daily Telegraph found that the top 1 per cent of state schools, or 21 schools, achieve better results than 98 per cent of private schools, or 512 schools.

When the point score per pupil is analysed, the top 500 state schools average 883 points while the top 500 independent schools is 845. On this measure, only four of the leading 20 schools in the country are private.

The data also showed a continued rise in popularity of the IGCSE with more than four in every 10 exam entries for the qualification rather than GCSE.

The rise comes as head teachers expressed their preference for the IGCSE because it is seen by some as tougher.