I don't see that the UK system is so different from the USA system. I studied for a year between college and medical school at a university in Germany- admission was based on your Abitur (leaving school exam) scores. If you achieved a certain score, you were guaranteed a spot, which led to overcrowding at the university.
What if you freak out and blow that exam? At least with grades, you have lots of individual classes to work on. I think it's less pressure than having your admission to university determined by just one exam.
I feel having a good work ethic for the child is very important. They need to be able to harness their potential and drive it somewhere that they want to go. We have alot of "Tiger moms" where we live, and we see alot of kids having very high test scores who probably aren't gifted, but they are extremely hard-working and motivated.
