GOVERNMENT plans to replace GCSEs with O-Level-style exams were leaked last month and this week a Bordon headteacher said it was crucial to keep exams "fair" and avoid a "two-tier system".

The headteacher of Mill Chase Community Technology College said it was too early to comment on the ins and outs of the proposals, but she did say that the timing of the news, which arrived as thousands of teenagers in England were sitting GCSEs, was "not helpful".

Jackie Adams said: "Although we agree with the need for reform, the timing of such discussions in the middle of the exam season is not helpful to students who are aspirational and do not deserve to have their hard work devalued."

For full story, see this week's Bordon Herald.