HEADTEACHERS today warned that the pressure on A-level students to get top grades has never been greater after another year of record passes.

But business employers are no longer seeing the exams as the Gold Standard qualification after successes rose for the 21st year in a row.

Candidates got pass rates of 95.4 per cent, up 1.1 per cent on last year, encouraging universities and employers to demand grades A-C in the battle for the best places.

Reforms to the A-levels, under which students can retake module papers, has pushed up overall pass rate of grades A to E.

That today prompted one business organisation to brand A-levels 'completely meaningless' after it was revealed that fewer than one entry in 20 had been failed by examiners.

The Secondary Heads Association also warned that the rise in pass-rates was being driven by six-formers ditching subjects like Maths and languages in favour of 'soft subjects' like psychology and media studies.

And unions have warned that the race to get ahead will intensify.

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David Fann, council member for the National Association of Head Teachers, today said the "race" was now on to tip the top.

"I hope that nobody tries to run the argument that standards are falling because there is absolutely no evidence of this on the basis of this year's results," he said.

"But the fact that more than 95 per cent of students are achieving a pass at A-level means that more and more universities and employers will be concentrating on grades A to C and the race to get into the best universities will intensify. The one really worrying aspect of the results is the drop in entries for modern foreign languages, sciences and maths."

Westholme School, on Meins Road, Blackburn, achieved a record 99 per cent pass rate at A2 for sixth formers with 22 subjects achieved 100 per cent pass rate.

Just under 70 per cent of the results were A or B while 85 per cent of the grades were A-C - up on last year.

At Blackburn's Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, pupils achieved an overall A-C pass rate this year at A2 Level of 84.2 per cent - the best anyone at the school can recall.

Headmaster David Hempsall said: "Most of our students take five AS subjects in Lower Sixth Form, which seems to give them an excellent grounding for A2 Levels.

"It's been said that AS-levels stretch young people too far. If you want something doing well, give it to a busy man or woman!"

At St Mary's College, Blackburn, the pass rate rose to 97.1 per cent, with 20 subjects also achieving a 100 per cent pass rate. The number of both A and B grades also increased.

Peter Morgan, director of education for Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "It takes a lot of dedication, hard work and determination to get through any course of study and students should be proud of themselves." Lancashire county councillor Alan Whittaker, cabinet member for education described the authorities results as "fantastic".

Ruth Lea, head of policy at the Institute of Directors today warned that businesses were no longer seeing A-levels as the 'Gold Standard'.

She said: "Once again we must ask ourselves what do we want from A-levels since it is clear that they are becoming increasingly meaningless? They no longer seem to be testing students."

Once again, girls did better than boys. The overall pass rate for female entries was 96.4 per cent this year, up from 95.4 per cent while for boys it was 94.3 per cent, up from 93 per cent.