A LEADING girls' fee-paying school has apologised to pupils and parents after assigning the wrong book for an exam.

Pupils at Malvern St James, Avenue Road, sitting the International GCSE English Literature exam yesterday opened their papers, only to find no questions relating to Spies by Michael Frayn, one of the books they had been studying for the last year.

Head Olivera Raraty: said: "There was an issue with one section of an IGCSE English Literature paper sat by one group of students in Year 11 on May 15.

"One of the texts taught to this group was incorrect. The problem was identified immediately, and we are now working with the exam board in question, so that no girl should be disadvantaged by this.

"Fortunately, all exam boards have procedures in place to deal with this type of incident and we meet the criteria for ‘special consideration’.

"Meanwhile a full internal investigation is under way and we are unable to provide further comment at this time.

"We apologise wholeheartedly for this, and will continue to work to resolve this issue as soon as possible.”

The book was on last year's syllabus for the same exam, but not on this year's.

The school is said to charge £37,000 a year per pupil.