HEADTEACHERS across the county have called for a change in the A-level system in the wake of fears that some results were artificially downgraded.

An inquiry is underway after leading independent schools claimed Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations marked down their candidates' course work.

Tony Cleaver, the head of Sheldon School, in Chippenham, said he did not believe any of his students were affected by the situation atOCR .

But he said confidence in A-level marking had been undermined over the past few years, and he blamed the huge growth in the number of examinations.

"There are signs the exam boards are under strain," he said.

He said the new AS-levels, along with the Standard Assessment Tests organised by the same exam boards, as well as difficulties recruiting markers, had contributed to the situation.

But he would like to see a period of stability before any further changes were made.

"I groaned when I heard the suggestion we should have a baccalaureate," he said.

The baccalaureate is an international qualification for post-16 pupils, popular in Europe, which incorporates five modules instead of the usual three for an A-level.

"What we need is stability. We need to settle down and get on with things," said Mr Cleaver.

He said the A-level/AS-level system had been a compromise between those who wanted to broaden sixth form education, and those who wanted to maintain the standard of the A-level.

"If you study six subjects you can't do so in the same depth as when you do three " he said. "But reformers weren't prepared to bite the bullet."

"Reform may be a good idea but give us a few years of stability first."

At Chippenham's Hardenhuish School head Colin Smith said the entire A-level system was in need of radical reform, and on balance, he would support a broadening of sixth form education, such as the baccalaureate.

The school has asked for OCR exam board to re-mark papers from six students but it relates to anomalies in particular papers, not course work.

Mr Smith said the school usually submitted a small number of papers for re-marking each year, and the number this year was not higher than usual.

"I would say it has been clear to me, my senior colleagues and our examinations officer that there has been enormous pressure on all the examination board," Mr Smith said.

"At A-level the number of papers to be marked has more than doubled because of AS-levels. The system is extraordinarily difficult to administer."

He said Hardenhuish had enjoyed an good year, and had proved itself to be one of the county's top performers at A-level.But he said the high costs of the examination system and the complicated administration, increased the need for radical reform.

Dr Patrick Hazlewood, the headteacher at St John's School and Community College in Marlborough, says he is under no illusions that manipulation is being carried out on A-level results so that the qualifications are not devalued by the continuing success of students in the exams.

He said: "It is so cynical and our students are paying the price for this. It is so unfair."

Dr Hazlewood said course work in chemistry, psychology and English had been deliberately marked down to massage the figures.

Between 50 and 60 students, about 40 per cent of the school's A-level candidates, had had papers submitted for re-grading by the school after coursework came back up to two grades below that given for the exam paper.

Dr Hazlewood said: "There is no doubt in my mind there is a different agenda running in the examining agencies and they have bent the criteria.

"There is very little doubt the examiners are using course work to screw down the overall standard of A-level results nation-wide."

Malcolm Irons, the new headteacher at Devizes School, said although there was an increase in the number of re-grades the school has requested this year, it was not dramatic and no student had missed out on university because of suspect grading.

He thinks the inequalities in marking originate in muddled thinking in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority rather than any deliberate attempt to falsify the results.

He said: "This is the first time the new A2s have been sat and marked and it is understandable that the authority doesn't know what it is dealing with.

"Because the students have already been through the AS levels and have jettisoned the subjects in which they scored worst, it is hardly surprising that their A2 results have been so good.

"I suspect the authority has been so concerned the media would jump on this as more evidence of the A-level system being devalued, it has looked for a way of compensating."