When I left school in the early 2000's no one I know got 11 A*'s and A's, they might have got a handful, even my friend who got A* in maths and sciences got a couple of B's, but now everyone seems to get the top grades, so clearly GCSEs have been dumbed down. I think its a good idea to make the top grades harder to get because then students will have to work harder at them.
HOWEVER, I also have concerns for kids who want to do well but struggle, for example kids with dyslexia.
The proposed new system, correct me kindly if I'm wrong, is similar to the old O level, and children who are not expected / predicted a decent amount of high grades will undertake a different sort of set of exams which are easier and will set them up for apprenticeships and life skills rather than university. This is all well and good but what if a child wants to do the old o level style exams and go to uni but struggle not through laziness but through a learning difficulty or they just don't get the help and motivation they need from their school or parents, why should they be consigned to the 'scrap heap'?
Sorry about the rant! I just feel very strongly. I did not do very well at school and I later found out I have dyslexia and dysphraxia, my teachers put me in bottom set for science and then I got a b in my gcse mocks so they soon moved me back up! It wasn't till I went back into education and got equivalent of AAB at A level from my access course that I actually realised Im not thick, I just wasn't given a chance, like I think this new system won't give some of the children a chance who need it and aspire to do better.