ONE way or another, the present A-level format looks certain to change in the not-too-distant future - the question is by how much?

The system suffered a major setback when thousands of papers had to be remarked and Education Secretary Estelle Morris resigned last year

The fiasco, which directly affected Worcestershire's Pershore High School, has since been put down to teething problems but confidence is yet to be restored.

And while many schools are weighing up the pros and cons of the current AS and A2 exams, others have been taking steps to provide exactly what their pupils need, rather than the Government suggests.

Clive Corbett, headteacher at Pershore High, has been keen to take positive steps for his students since the regrading of last summer's A-levels.

"I was of the opinion that we might be looking at an English Baccalaureate in a few years time and there is every likelihood that things might change," he said.

"Some confidence has been rebuilt after results from students' exams in January, but there are still problems with the AS and A2 exams."

Mr Corbett said that while the variety of subjects that the new system offered was a positive move, close discussions with teachers and pupils alike raised other issues.

"What we are now looking at is a close partnership with Pershore colleges to offer not only more choice but more vocational options in the sixth form.

"Previously, if people wanted to study horticulture or animal husbandry, they would end up doing a subject like geography.

"However, with links to a college that teaches more specific areas, we can offer our students exactly what they want.

"We already offer Business Studies, Health and Social Care and Leisure and Tourism and we are hopefully going to offer the youngsters of Pershore more vocational breadth soon."

The introduction of vocational subjects is also an area where Malvern College headteacher Hugh Carson feels improvements can be made in the current system.

However, students at the private school have been offered an alternative to the A-levels system - in the shape of the International Baccalaureate (IB) - for the last decade.

Under this option, pupils start with six subjects - including English, maths, a foreign language, science, humanities and a final subject - on top of which they do an extended essay and community work.

The IB is administered from Geneva and only offered by about 50 English schools. However, more than half the present sixth form at Malvern College has entered the IB.

Like Pershore High's plans, the purpose is simply to provide options for pupils to gain the most they possibly can - academically and personally - from the sixth form.

"We plan to keep the IB going until we see exactly what comes of the A-level reforms," said Mr Carson. "But I doubt whether many schools will offer both in the long term because it's expensive to set up.

"There is talk of an English Baccalaureate which would be less academically demanding than the IB but offer the same breadth of education."

Where the IB scores points over the current A-level system is in creating more rounded school-leavers by testing them in a wider variety of subjects - though some subjects can be weighted more heavily than others.

"I think our scientists should be able to string sentences together and our English scholars and historians should be able to add," said Mr Carson.

"It's important that students are prepared for life with a range of skills.

The best academics will score well in both systems, but the IB is ideal for pupils who work hard and score consistent - but not necessarily the top - grades.

Another benefit of the IB is the problems created by almost constant examinations - a major criticism of the current AS and A-levels - are eliminated.

Though pupils do have an intensive period of exams at the end of their final year, this is all part of the IB's rounded approach to education.

"I think the challenge of final exams does say something about how people cope with stressful situations and pressure, and helps prepare them for university and jobs," said Malvern College's head.

This also gives pupils who develop later academically the opportunity to perform as well as possible at school, and provides universities with a pool of well-rounded students to chose from.

And The Alice Ottley School, Worcestershire's top performer in last week's A-level league tables, fully supports increasing the breadth of sixth form education.

"The current system is not yet right and moves to broaden the subjects studied is a very good thing," said headmistress Morag Chapman.

Whether the Government decides to change the current A-levels or not, schools across the county have already taken steps to adjust the system to the needs of their pupils.