GCSEs scrapped ahead of exams at Black Country school

Grace Academy in Darlaston confirmed it had dropped several subjects, but insisted it was to give pupils a better chance at gaining qualifications.

But pupils have hit out at the surprise move, saying it could affect their chances at getting into college and further education.

The subjects which have been dropped are believed to include resistant materials, computing, engineering and a business qualification.

One student, who didn't want to be named, claimed the move had affected dozens of students.

They said: "I have already done a year's worth of work in each of these subjects and now I am not going to get to finish them.

"I received a letter confirming that I had completed one year's study in each of these courses which I can present to future employers, but that is not enough."

The student added: "I am worried that if I do not get all five GCSEs at A* to C then I won't get in to college. There are some students who will leave school with eight GCSEs, an employer will definitely pick them over me."

The move comes just months after the school unveiled a £26 million rebuild which saw new music and recording studios installed alongside specialist drama studios and a full-size competition basketball sports hall.

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Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said the authority had no control over the Grace Academy but added he thought a lack of interest in courses may have been behind the changes.

He added: "The schools assess the needs of teaching by the take-up for courses planned in the curriculum. I should imagine the take-up might have been minimal with the resources available to teach those subjects."

Judi Wood, director of corporate development at the academy, confirmed the school had made some changes to its timetable.

She said: "While we cannot comment on the situation of individual students, we can confirm that we have made some changes to our timetable in order to ensure that all our year 11 students are best prepared for their GCSE examinations.

"While the majority of our Year 11 students will still be taking at least eight GCSEs, or equivalent, our priority this year is to ensure that all our students have the best opportunity to achieve at least five A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and Maths.

"One of the reasons for these changes to our GCSE programme has been as a response to recent changes to the GCSE examination system announced by the Department for Education."

Recent league table results showed 35 per cent of students at the academy achieved five GCSEs including English and Maths at A*-C last year.

The Grace Academy runs three sites in the West Midlands with the others in Solihull and Coventry.