Plans to give state-school teenagers who exceed their teachers' expectations at A-level a second chance to impress university admissions tutors were branded "an absolute nightmare" today.

Bill Rammell, the Higher Education Minister, said in an interview published in today's Times that just 45 per cent of predicted A-level grades - on which universities currently base their offers - were accurate.

Mr Rammell said that research showed that pupils from poorer families suffered most because teachers often underestimated the grades that they eventually achieve - while over-estimating the likely results of pupils from wealthier homes.

"The existing system is least fair to the poorest students - that has to change," said Mr Rammell. "I want every student to have the chance to fulfil their potential and get a higher education place based on their actual ability rather than on predictions which can let them down."

Dr Martin Stephen, high master of the £4,500-a-term St Paul’s School said a full post-qualification applications system was "logical, sensible and fair".

But he attacked the proposal for universities to hold back some places until after students receive their A-level results.

"The real problem will be if the Government go for a fudge solution where places are held back," he said. "It is an absolute nightmare because university entry is not an exact science. It’s impossible to predict how many places should be held back.

"The point about PQA is that you are getting a university place with the grade you have achieved. "The minute you dilute that principle you are in trouble."

Dr Stephen said universities should be left free to choose the best candidates and the Government should focus on making sure that students from poor backgrounds get the best A-level result they can, not on making sure universities give them places.

"If large numbers of disadvantaged students are not making it to university who are clever enough to do so, let’s not blame the universities for that," he said.

A spokesman for the Independent Schools Council, which represents private schools in the UK, said it had no objections to moving to a full PQA system. But he said independent schools would worry over any moves to judge pupils on whether they came from the state school or independent sectors.

"Where we do have concerns potentially is if there were any attempt to judge applicants as representatives of their sector rather than as individuals," he said.

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