My school never predicted anyone a 9, which is the right thing to do. In most subjects, we have no idea what a 9 will be. It is unfair for the students to expect to get a 9, and be disappointed if they don't. It is still an A*, which was the best, nothing to be disappointed about.
Completely true! Everyone who is being told they have been ‘working at a Grade 9’ is not necessarily being told the truth. Only in Maths or English can someone be told that and even then it’s not 100% reliable.
They should understand the new grading system - though it's parents and employers who are the ones still not getting to grips with everything and I don't blame them.
Grade 8 is surely not as good as grade 9. If you look at the grade boundaries for most subjects, a grade 9 is high seventy or low eighty which i would expect someone to get if he/she is doing very well in a subject