The children will take their exams in information systems after just nine months' tuition and all are expected to get at least a grade C.

Every year, very young students at Ryde College in Watford, Hertfordshire, pass the GCSE, some of whom the college says cannot even write properly when they start the course.

The college's youngest pupil, who is currently aged four-and-a-half, is being assessed to see if he will be able to sit the exam next summer. Other pupils expected to take the exam are currently aged five and above.

Concerns

The news follows this week's unveiling of proposals to offer children as young as 11 the chance to take GCSEs to encourage bright pupils.

The Education Secretary, David Blunkett, said it was important for bright children to be "stretched" to prevent them from becoming frustrated.

Record-breaker: Krishan Radia

Head teachers expressed concerns, saying it could create a two-tier system, where those taking the exams at the age of 16 would be seen as second best.

They are also worried that encouraging young children to take GCSEs could put them under too much pressure, and that those sitting exams early would miss out on studying subjects in depth.

But the proposals have been welcomed by Ryde College founder and principal, Dr Ronald Ryde, who says that society holds children back.

He says that none of the children who study at his college are selected, and that all children are capable of achieving GCSEs at a young age if given the right opportunities.

'Normal children'

Last summer, six-year-old Krishan Radia made history by becoming the youngest person to pass a GCSE.

He gained a C grade in information systems - the best possible grade in the foundation paper he sat - after studying at Ryde College.

Dr Ryde said: "We are currently assessing the four-and-a-half-year-old to see if he will sit the exam next summer.

"Our pupils are all normal children. We do not select them, we do not pressure them, and we are not intensive.

"The pressure being put on children these days comes in secondary schools, where they sit twiddling their thumbs until they are 15 or 16, when they have to sit eight, nine or 10 subjects all at once.

"It's much better for children to sit one or two at the age of 10, one or two at 11, a couple at 12 or 13 and so on. When they are 16 they can try to better their grades, if they want."

'Parents make notes'

The college started offering GCSEs in maths and English last year, and will receive its first set of results in those subjects on Thursday. It also offers an A level computing course.

Dr Ryde said that computing was well-suited to younger children, because it was interactive, and sparked their interest.

"Our pupils take their exams after nine months, and do computer programming as well, which isn't done for GCSE because it is considered too difficult.

"We have parents sitting in with them at first, because some of them can't write properly, so the parents make the notes for them.

"As the weeks and months go by, the children are able to write. We explain the questions to them, help them with their English, and they work through past papers.

'Children's university'

Pupils taking the GCSE information systems course attend the college in the evenings or at weekends for a two-hour session twice a week.

"I would like to see a children's university," said Dr Ryde. "I think children could get degrees at a very young age, but most people don't start university until they are 18.

"While I would not want to be operated on by a 15, 16, or 17-year-old doctor, or represented in court by a barrister of that age, those are professional qualifications which should be taken by people much older.

"But there is no reason why degrees in subjects such as maths and physics cannot be taken at a younger age."