FRESH doubts have been raised about the new GCSE grading system on the day thousands of youngsters across the region prepare to collect their results.

The organisation Schools NorthEast, which has a network of 1,250 schools, claimed the way the new system had been implemented could widen the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils even further.

It said the roll-out of new GCSE exams had been rushed and schools given “little time and scant support” to bed in a critical change to the education of pupils aged between 14 and 16.

Under the biggest shake-up of exams in England for a generation, GCSEs have been toughened up and traditional A*-G grades scrapped and replaced with a 9-1 system, with 9 the highest grade.

As a result it has been predicted as few as 200 students could score a clean sweep of all 9s in their GCSEs this year.

The new system came into being last year and is aimed at creating more opportunity for differentiation among more able students.

So A* and As are replaced with three grades, 7, 8, and 9. Meanwhile, a 4 is regarded as being equivalent to an old ‘C’ pass, but some critics say this sends a “demoralising message” to those students who are likely to score lower.

Chris Zarraga, director of operations at Schools NorthEast, said: “What is concerning is the increased pressures our young people now face in this new grading system across the board, as well as the detrimental affect the lack of funding has on our most disadvantaged pupils and to what extent this will affect their results tomorrow.

“There is a worry that the way this new system has been implemented could mean the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils has been widened even further.”

Mr Zarraga referred to a recent Education Policy Institute report which suggested disadvantaged pupils in the North-East were as much as two years behind their peers by the end of secondary school.

Figures published in January also showed the region to have a higher proportion of under-performing secondary schools than anywhere else in England with more than a fifth of schools falling behind new ‘floor’ standards for Key Stage 4, which also took into account new tougher GCSEs in English and maths taken by pupils last summer.

Mr Zarraga said: “By rushing the introduction of these tougher qualifications, the Government effectively created a lottery for pupils who may end up with grades that do not reflect their ability, especially those who have not been able to reach the grade 4 pass mark.”

Malcolm Trobe, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Pupils are taking exams which are harder than their predecessors and have been told by the Government that a grade 4 is a 'standard pass' and a grade 5 is a 'strong pass'.

"That is a very demoralising message to those who achieve grades 1, 2 and 3, and the new system does not work very well for them at all.

"These young people have completed demanding programmes of study and we need to find a better way to credit their achievements."

Dean Judson, chief executive of Darlington-based Swift Academies, a multi-academy trust which operates Hurworth School, The Rydal Academy and Longfield Academy of Sport, said with the implementation of any new system it was “imperative” that students were treated fairly and equitably at the examination stage.

He said: “This is the second stage of a three stage process which means that the 2017 and 2018 cohorts will not have a comparable like for like grading system with any other cohorts.

“The 2019 grading system will only be comparable with subsequent year groups and none of the 2017 to 2019 grading systems will be comparable with previous year cohorts.

“This is an issue that needs to recognised by employers and post 16-providers as any applications that are subsequently submitted to them covering a four year window will not be comparing apples with apples.”

Exams regulator Ofqual said it uses statistical processes to ensure that results are comparable year-on-year and to ensure that students who are among the first to take the new-style qualifications are not disadvantaged in any way.

Sally Collier, Ofqual chief regulator, said: "Today's results are the second set for reformed GCSEs and the majority of awards this summer are for new 9 to 1 qualifications.

“Many years in the making, these new GCSEs are more challenging and will better prepare students for further study or employment.

"Students picking up their results today can be confident they have achieved the grades their performance deserves. As in previous years, we have used the tried and tested principle of comparable outcomes to ensure standards are maintained."