Exam grades are in chaos, teachers are in despair, appeals are set for meltdown

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson issued a humiliating apology to millions of pupils last night – as fears grew of chaos in the A-level appeals process. A quarter of a million sixth-formers will get their results this morning after an 11th-hour change to the way grades are awarded. In an attempt to head off a rebellion … Read more

Backlash over Government plans to give pupils ‘triple lock’ on grades

The 11th hour decision to give students a ‘triple lock’ on their A-level and GCSE grades by allowing them to opt for the grades they got in their mock exams was today blasted by union leads as an idea that ‘beggars belief’. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson last night ripped up the system just 36 hours … Read more

Scottish exams scandal: Students WILL get predicted grades

The Scottish Government completed a total U-turn over exam results today, confirming that the downgraded marks of tens of thousands of students will revert to grades estimated by their teachers. Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP administration bowed to pressure to alter course over a ‘standardisation’ system designed to tackle the fact that no exams have been sat due … Read more

39% of England A-level grades expected to be downgraded

Nearly 40% of A-level grades given by teachers in England will be downgraded when exam regulator Ofqual publishes students’ results next week.  Up to 300,000 students stand to receive lower grades after exams were cancelled amid the coronavirus lockdown.  Grades will instead be issued according to Ofqual’s statistical model, which draws on each pupil’s previous … Read more

A-level pupils in England face lower marks than expected as 39% of grades ‘will be downgraded’

300,000 A-level pupils in England face lower marks than expected as 39% of grades set by teachers ‘will be downgraded’ – amid fury in Scotland over 25% of papers marked down More than 730,000 A-level entries will be assessed by Ofqual’s statistical model Nearly 2 million grades set by teachers could be changed or ignored … Read more

GCSE and A-Level results will be decided by statistical modelling NOT teacher’s predicted grades

GCSE and A-Level results will be decided by statistical modelling – NOT teacher’s predicted grades – in major government U-turn on exams Exam regulator Ofqual said statistical modelling will be used to calculate grades  Model will factor previous grades of pupils and former students at same school Ofqual said teachers’ predicted grades submitted in March … Read more

Oxford will accept brilliant pupils from struggling schools even if they fail to get expected grades

Oxford University will accept scores of brilliant pupils from struggling schools even if they fail to get expected grades – sparking claims of ‘unfair’ discrimination Students who drop a grade – or even two – below their offer will still be admitted  The chairman of the Campaign for Real Education says it is ‘social engineering’ … Read more

Fears exam boards will slash GCSE and A Level grades after teachers mark them over-generously

Exam results could be slashed amid forecasts suggesting teachers have marked pupils affected by the coronavirus pandemic too generously this year, while other pupils to be impacted by the virus will benefit from a £1billion support package. As some pupils face longer school days and new social distancing measures, data published by FFT Datalab suggests … Read more

GCSE and A-Level pupils face being given WRONG grades

GCSE and A-Level pupils face being given the wrong grades due to teachers manually inputting thousands of scores into AQA exam board’s online system that is ‘ripe for human error’. Concerns have been raised about its ‘grade entry portal’, in which marks have to be put in one-by-one. AQA’s method has left school staff horrified … Read more

Pupils who disagree with predicted A-level and GCSE grades may not be able to sit exams in autumn

Students who disagree with their predicted A-Level and GCSE grades may not be able to sit exams in the autumn to try and amend them, it has been reported.      Due to the coronavirus lockdown, exams regulator Ofqual has instructed teachers to provide grades for students which reflect the results they would have been most likely … Read more