People in secondary English teacher jobs have been warned that planned reforms to GCSE could work to demotivate less-able students.

Bethan Marshall, chair of an English teachers' association, said that her understanding is the new equivalent of the existing C grade - currently seen as the accepted standard - will only have two grades below it, rather than the four grade bands that are in operation now.

She believes this weighting will be "hugely demoralising" for pupils that were expecting an average test result.

This reforms are currently set to be introduced in the core subjects of English and maths from autumn 2015, with teachers preparing their pupils to take the first exams in 2017. After that, the new structure - and grade bandings - will follow in other subjects.

Ms Marshall told the BBC: "It's my understanding that there will be more or less three levels for A grades, two levels for a B and two for a C."

Under the original restructuring plan, only eight GCSE grades were to be awarded, but Ofqual said earlier this month this had been raised to nine. However, Ms Marshall added that this change may have only been as a result of the pressure that English teachers had put on the exams watchdog.

She explained that the gaps between grades at the bottom end of the scale do not give pupils any incentive to try to improve, as it will be hard for this extra effort to be reflected in a test score. 

Education secretary Michael Gove has stated he is leading the changes to rectify a system he believes was "dumbed down" and damaged by "grade inflation".

A spokesman for Ofqual said no decision has yet been made on banding and the regulator does intent to hold a public consultation on standard setting in the coming months.

As an English or maths teacher or somebody looking for a secondary teaching job, how do you feel grades should be awarded?