SEVERAL top independent schools in Oxfordshire have revealed they may drop A-Levels within two years for a tough new continental-style diploma.

Magdalen College School, Oxford, Oxford High School, Radley College, Abingdon, and Abingdon School are among those interested in the 'Cambridge Pre-U' being developed by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) for independent schools only.

State school heads, concerned the diploma could give private school pupils an unfair advantage in university admissions, have condemned the move. Last year, the percentage of students passing A-Levels reached 96.2 per cent, with almost 23 per cent achieving A grades.

The Government is planning a series of measures to help differentiate between high-flyers, such as publishing individual module grades, introducing tougher questions and setting new university entrance tests. But Andrew Halls, master of Magdalen College School, which has already dropped GCSE maths in favour of the tougher international GCSE, said these would not restore confidence in the A-Level system.

Students taking the new diploma would study three main subjects and one subsidiary subject and complete a university-style independent project or investigation. If they pass all of the courses, they receive the diploma, if not, they get the individual subject qualifications.

Draft syllabuses will be published in the autumn with the first teaching due to start in September 2008.

Mr Halls said: "We would be taking a big risk by ditching A-Level but it is not an exciting exam any more.

"The number of A grades has more than doubled in recent memory and universities are having to introduce extra tests to select candidates. It's about being able to stretch the most able, show rank order and differentiate between candidates, but it's also about the level of excitement. This diploma will hopefully give us the opportunity to inject back into the sixth-form some of the passion we felt for our subjects when we decided to go into teaching.

"It will demand complex thinking from pupils rather than digesting notes for exams.

"Dissociating ourselves completely from the national exam system is a radical step but A-Levels are not fit for purpose and as long as the diploma gets off the ground, schools like ours will adopt it."

Radley College warden Angus McPhail said: "There's obviously a problem with the number of people getting As we have at the moment either we've got to do something about the content or we've got to change the boundaries for the grades."

Abingdon School head Mark Turner said: "We are interested, but at the moment it's much too early to say whether it's going to be the panacea for all sixth-form evils and we would want to do a lot more research on it before committing the school to that particular route."

The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, which state schools are allowed to offer, was once favourite to replace A-Levels, but the extra expense and the idea that it restricts student choice means few have made the switch.

Oxford High School head Felicity Lusk said: "The Pre-U is a very good alternative to both A-Levels and the IB and we are going to be looking at it very seriously."

Rod Walker, head of Henry Box School, Witney, which has topped the league of county state schools at A-Level for four years running, said he strongly opposed any exam system which excluded state schools.

He said: "I'm staggered that this is being proposed."