I think it would make far more sense to stick to one hard enough standard each year instead of it fluctuating from year to year. That way the predicted grades would be far more reliable and everyone will have a better idea where they stand.

Furthermore, I do not believe in grade inflation because people will just ask for higher grades, so it is self defeating. If it was easy it would not be worth having.

To achieve good grades or for the grades to be meaningfully good it is vital to actually understand and master the topics. I notice people are doing past papers to try and achieve this but it simply does not work. Getting good at one paper after the corrections will not make you good at the next paper. Past papers are to get you good at exam technique and time management with sufficient understanding under your belt. They could be good at highlighting which topics need work the right way through plenty of practice questions.

An enormous problem is the schools do not communicate that their child is struggling with Maths basics until very late in the day and when they do, they do not employ enough emphasis. The challenge is getting this message across to parents who are not yet looking for a tutor to give the necessary help.