Teachers are making pupils take easy GCSEs to lift grades, watchdog warns

TEACHERS are gaming the system by making pupils take easy GCSEs, watchdogs have warned.

Some have forced native English speakers to take qualifications in English for speakers of other languages.

A watchdog has warned that pupils are being made to take simple subjects to boost their schools' overall grades — A watchdog has warned that pupils are being made to take simple subjects to boost their schools’ overall gradesCredit: Alamy

And one head made every pupil take a GCSE in sports science — even if they hated it.

Meanwhile, an “enormous proportion” of students were entered to get the European computer driving licence.

But, once it was ditched from school league tables, the number taking it plummeted.

Ofsted head Amanda Spielman warned poor children were being dumped with “hollow grades” which were almost worthless.

In an alarming report, she said colleges were flooding the job market with youngsters with low-level qualifications, leaving them woefully underprepared.

In some schools, most children are forced to drop history, geography and languages by 13.

Ms Spielman said: “We mustn’t succumb to the seductive but wrong-headed logic that we help disadvantaged children by turning a blind eye to schools that narrow education in this way as long as they deliver acceptable grades.”

Ms Spielman said it was poor children whose parents did not read to them every night or take them to museums who lost out when schools tried to game the system.

She added: “Exam results are, of course, important but they must reflect real achievement.”