Teachers in England and Wales are apparently bumping up the predicted grades for pupils sitting their A-levels as a way to improve their chances of getting into the top universities they are applying for, it has been claimed. 

Ucas head Mary Curnock Cook said this is a response to the way universities now operate, with many relaxing their rules on grades simply to help improve the number of applicants they receive year on year. 

With intense competition among universities to attract students, more institutions are happy to accept those who had been predicted to achieve strong grades, even if they fail to actually deliver in their exams. This is causing more teachers to project stronger grades for their students than they might have done in the past, simply to help them get into a better university. 

Ms Curnock Cook said that last year, more than half of students who had been accepted on degree courses across the nation had missed their projected results by two or more grades. 

Speaking at a conference on higher education at Wellington College, Berkshire, she also said she had spoken to teachers who were telling her they had been looking to help their pupils gain initial offers with higher grades. 

Association of School and College Leaders acting general secretary Malcolm Trobe agreed that predictive grades are often higher than the pupil manages to achieve. 

"There are a number of reasons for this, one of which is teachers are looking at the best possible outcome for the student if everything goes really, really well - if they manage to achieve their maximum grade," he said, adding that part of the issue could be that the scrapping of AS levels and the move to a more linear system of grading A-levels caused some confusion with teachers.