Students at Saltus Grammar School will now only sit GCSE exams if deemed ready by their teachers.

And Headmaster Ted Staunton admitted the number of students had been discussed, but refuted claims made in a Letter to the Editor last Saturday from "a concerned student" that numbers would be cut by more than 100. The $17,000-a-year school currently has 1,068 students.

"I am absolutely mystified as to where that figure came from. We have 353 students in year seven to 11. So for a school or any educational institution to cut back enrolment by 100-plus students would drive them into financial difficulties.

"The only thing that that figure might be alluding to is the figure that I had mentioned to the staff that I wasn't sure whether a school of 950 students as opposed to 1,068 mightn't service our school better. The comfort level, traffic, etc. I guess that's about 100 and something students.

"It certainly isn't an effort to cut enrolment. It's somebody taking a number out of context. It was never directed to the students. It was a comment made for the staff."

Mr. Staunton denied the new GCSE process was put in place to improve the school's overall results and said students affected would be those at GCSE level or 16 year old.

"What I am concerned about are students who might not be taking their studies seriously. Writing exams that parents have to pay for and ending up with poor results that have to be tabulated. I am more concerned with doing what's in the best interest for the students."

The Headmaster said if a student fails, that grade is placed on his or her transcript jeopardising their university exam process.

"What I prefer to do is a good communication with parents and suggest to parents that this isn't in their best interest. We're not necessarily going to have every student write each and every exam.

"We would prefer to do teacher assessments. We're starting it now. It's like everything else in this world, there may be a compromise that may be reached."

Asked if a student would not be allowed to take an exam he or she needed to advance even if they weren't deemed ready, Mr Staunton said: "A teacher would never put a student in a position of not being able to write in order to move ahead. It's only if it's going to hurt them in the college or university application process.

"Frankly this is what we're working on, closer communication with parents. If a student is doing poorly throughout the first term and writes the mock exams and is still doing poorly, I am not sure it's an issue of the teachers, it's the students.

"We tell say Mr. and Mrs. Smith we don't think it's in your child's best interest to take the exam and it's on record. If there is an overwhelming desire to have that student write, I suspect they will be able to write."