Some Academy Schools have been accused of pushing some pupils down, what is seen as easier qualifications, generally the vocational ones to boost the number of high grades the schools achieve. Some of these vocational qualification are whole up to 4 A*-C GCSE grades.

The state funded but independently run schools are exempt from the Freedom of Information act and can hide behind this. Researchers from a Think Tank, Civitas, believe that some academies which have shown a fast rate of improvement were using this method of selecting qualifications to boost their league position.