Keith Vaz says more communication is needed

Students at the City of Leicester School can now take a General National Vocational Qualification in the subject, but not a GCSE.

Teachers and governors at the school deny the more vocational course is a lesser qualification.

But Leicester East MP Keith Vaz says parents feel their children are getting a raw deal.

Letter-writing campaign

"There should have been better consultation between the school governors and the parents on this question.

"You can't have one school doing one set of qualifications and another school doing another and the students applying to the same university."

The head teacher has agreed to sit down with the parents and governors to resolve the situation.

Pupils at the school have started a letter-writing campaign, sending appeals to former students, including Alastair Campbell, the prime minister's chief spokesman, who attended the school.

The head teacher of the school, Mike Griffiths, said a meeting held to discuss the situation on Thursday evening was successful.

He says the school and parents have agreed to form a committee to help resolve the issue.