STUDENTS applying to top universities will find it increasingly difficult to get a place, an Oxford headteacher has warned.

Headington School’s Caroline Jordan has also said there is increasing pressure on the county’s A-Level students to gain A* grades.

Speaking last week to parents of GCSE students, Mrs Jordan said her school had noticed more universities asking for the top grades than ever before.

But other headteachers said the pressures were no greater than in previous years.

Mrs Jordan said: “We have noticed an increase in A* offers from within our applicants so far, and over a fifth of the offers that our girls have received have included at least one A*.

“One thing that is true is that the A* seems to be staying around and, if we continue this trend, along with increasing focus on the high performing universities, then we need to take this very seriously.”

Mrs Jordan, who is also chairman of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) Education Committee, said it was not only the more established universities which were introducing the use of A* grades.

It was becoming more widely used as a way to distinguish between high-achieving candidates on oversubscribed courses, she claimed.

Many universities were also said to be asking for AS level results before offering places.

Mrs Jordan said: “We are likely to see a smaller pool of national applicants concentrate on the more prestigious universities – the ones where it appears that £9,000 is better value for money.

“So rather than it being easier to get into the universities of choice, it could become increasingly difficult.”

She told parents that students should focus on quality not quantity when making A-Level choices and look at alternative options abroad.

“For some time now Headington has been preparing girls for entry to a variety of different worldwide universities, not only in the Far East but also in America,” she added.

Headington School is a day and boarding school for girls aged from three to 18.

This summer, 69.5 per cent of A-Level entries at the school gained A* or A grades and 49 girls achieved all A or A* grades.

But Oxford Spires Academy principal Sue Croft said the pressure to get the best grades started even earlier than sixth form.

She said: “There is a pressure on students because they know they have to get the grades to get into the best universities. But in our experience, that hasn’t significantly changed.

“If anything, the pressure starts from GCSE level because they need good grades there too.”