Voluntary work and an extended essay could be part of a shake-up for A-level students in England, reports suggest.

BBC: A-level students facing shake-up

It is even now suggested that Mr Blair's enthusiasm for the International Baccalaureate - with its greater breadth and an already in-built extended essay, just as Tomlinson proposed - reflects his own pro-Tomlinson thinking.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Education | Q&A: Exam changes

The latest reports in The Times suggest that pupils would have to write a 5, 000-word extended essay, adding an element that is an important part of the International Baccalaureate (IB).

BBC: A-level students facing shake-up