MORE than 50 pupils at a Newport comprehensive school have signed a joint letter addressed to their headmaster outlining their disappointment over the decision to ‘scrap’ early entry exams for GCSE mathematics.

Two weeks ago, the headmaster at St Julian’s Comprehensive, Mr Rhys Evans, informed pupils that early entry into exams would not go ahead.

GCSE exams are typically sat in the month of May. But some schools let those in higher tier sets to sit some exams early in the month of November.

The school has been in special measures since July 2017.

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A recent policy change means that the Welsh Government will now only count the first grade from early entry, regardless of what the pupil might get in their second exam.

But Newport City Council say they have taken advice from Qualifications Wales, which concluded it is “concerned about the extensive and growing use of early and multiple entry.”

A council spokesman told the South Wales Argus: "Therefore we ask our schools to strongly consider the appropriate use of early entry of GCSE examinations and only apply this to individual pupils who are suited to this practice.

"Early entry GCSEs pose risks to students and to the examinations system, which are not easily justified. The practice encourages a 'teaching the test' approach at the cost of wider subject knowledge.

"Early entry must only be for the minority of pupils who will benefit."

But Jake says the hardest working pupils are now being penalised.

“120 pupils have worked hard for these exams," he said.

“Many, including me, wanted to sit their Maths exam in November to get it out of the way early to focus on other subjects.”

Jake feels that the pupils are ready to take their exams early but feels as though the headmaster doesn’t have as much faith in them.

Most pupils also attend regular morning revision sessions for their exams, which are also being scrapped.

“This was a way to help struggling students,” said Jake.

“They are also doing the same with English.”