Geoff Lucas, retiring secretary of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), revealed in an interview with the Independent newspaper that he could see a time when GCSEs could be replaced by an English Baccalaureate.

The HMC represents the Heads of over 250 of the leading independent schools in the United Kingdom and wields great power over the independent education sector. It demonstrated its influence earlier year by effectively changing the structure at the UK’s independent sector umbrella body, the Independent Schools Council (ISC), by threatening to withdraw its membership. HMC has rejoined the ISC, but only after its chief executive and chair was replaced and other members agreed to an overhaul of the organisation.

Mr Lucas spoke to the Independent about his concerns over the number of exams that pupils sit at the age of 16, "You have to ask yourself which exams are of most value at 16 to 18. I think that then raise questions about GCSE, AS and A-level – do you need all three in consecutive years?"

Mr Lucas supports the principal behind the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), recently introduced by Education Secretary, Michael Gove in the state sector and believes it could form a replacement for GSCEs. The EBacc was introduced last year as a way of measuring performance in core subjects in English state schools.  Pupils achieve the EBacc if they achieve an A-C pass in the subjects, English, maths, geography or history, the sciences and a language.

The EBacc has received criticism recently from the Education Select Committee for its ‘hurried’ implementation and from other education groups and teaching unions for its marginalisation of the arts and religious studies. Mr Lucas said, "Arguably, you could add an arts subject too”.

Mr Lucas also supported the move to allow students to apply to their university of choice after they had received their exam results. He explained how he believed A-levels were the crucial measure for university admission and identified the weaknesses of offering a provisional place based on expected grades. The government is considering this change and is consulting on a post-qualification admissions process.

Mr Lucas will retire from the HMC later this month after 10 years with the organisation