Headmasters could appeal GCSE results for being TOO GENEROUS

Schools across England are considering appealing against this year’s unrealistically high GCSE results after thousands of students saw their grades reach record highs. 

Headteachers may now challenge the top marks awarded to pupils after figures released by Ofqual showed that the proportion of the highest GCSE grades awarded in country had jumped by 26 per cent.

It comes after GCSE results surged to record highs for the ‘Class of Covid’ yesterday, after the beleaguered exam regulator abandoned its attempts to assign lower grades via computerised calculations. 

The generous grades were mainly reliant on teacher predictions, leading to top marks of 7 or above jumping to 25.9 per cent, up by 5.2 points on 2019.

GCSE students were able to take the higher of either their adjusted grade or their estimate mark from their teacher after the regulator Ofqual confirmed England would follow steps already taken by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

The move came just a week after A-Level students, who were given a ‘triple lock’ on their results, saw 40 per cent of their results downgraded due to the controversial algorithm used by exams regulator Ofqual.    

However the unusually high results being dished out to pupils across the country today have now been called into question, with some arguing the marks would have ‘serious implications’.    

James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, told The Guardian: ‘It is likely that there will be an increased demand for places in sixth-form colleges … at a time when colleges will be struggling with social distancing requirements.’

Meanwhile Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that some grades were ‘being moved up in a way that is unfathomable’ and was setting up students for courses they didn’t have a ‘base of knowledge’ for.

‘This does have serious implications because these students may then understandably feel that they want to go on to higher-tariff A-level courses, but won’t have the base of knowledge that they need,’ he said.

‘It is yet more evidence that the standardisation model was not fit for purpose.’      

Sam Freedman, a former adviser to Michael Gove when he was education secretary, added that he was hearing about ‘some barmy grades awarded by algorithm’. 

He wrote online: ‘While this is certainly less problematic than young people missing out on places it’s not great that some students will have grades higher than they could possibly have achieved and are thus eligible for courses they won’t be suited for.’    

Following last week’s A-level catastrophe, England’s exam regulator Ofqual abandoned its efforts to downgrade a swathe of GCSEs, allowing teachers’ original predicted grades to stand in most cases. 

To try to make amends for the confusion, Ofqual also said that in cases where their algorithm had marked up a candidate, they could keep that higher grade.              

But experts warned that some results were moved up in an ‘unfathomable’ way, while ‘horrified’ teachers were said to be considering appeals against unrealistically high marks. 

Not a single pupil in England failed in economics, chemistry, physics or PE, compared to more than 2,000 last year. 

There was also a record 76 per cent of entries that received a grade 4 or above, up 8.9 points on 2019. 

Youngsters getting the top grades in mathematics rose from 15.9 per cent to 19 per cent, while in English it jumped from 13.9 per cent to 18.7 per cent. 

The overall pass rate was 99.6 per cent, up from 98.3 per cent in 2019, another record. Many schools reported ‘bizarre’ increases – from what would have been a G to an A, under the old system of marking. 

Other teachers said they had failed students who never turned up to class, only to see Ofqual’s algorithm had awarded them a pass. 

Students who sat foundation tier GCSEs were also given grades over 5, despite this being the highest available grade for those papers. 

From 2017, traditional A*-G GCSE grades began to be scrapped and replaced in England with a 9-1 system, with 9 the highest result. A 4 is broadly equivalent to a C grade, and a 7 broadly equivalent to an A. 

Ofqual had already been facing ing the A-level results fiasco that saw disadvantaged pupils hardest hit by widespread downgrading. 

After days of chaos – and a humiliating climbdown for Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, who had pledged ‘no U-turn, no change’ – it was announced that pupils would be able to receive grades based on their teachers’ estimates. 

Last night, the regulator again admitted that its computer algorithm was behind the impossible marks. 

‘Where possible, in all decisions we have taken this summer, we have chosen the approach that works in students’ favour,’ a spokesman said. 

‘In the unprecedented circumstances this summer, it is right that we do not seek to disadvantage students who were not able to sit an exam. 

‘Betrayal’ of the BTEC youngsters left in limbo

Hundreds of thousands of BTEC students have been ‘betrayed’ by the delay in receiving their final grades, it was claimed yesterday. 

They were left in limbo after their exam board told schools and colleges not to release their results. These were not included in the original exam grading U-turn. 

But late on Wednesday afternoon – with hours to go until results day – exam body Pearson said it would regrade BTECs to ‘address concerns about unfairness’. 

Schools minister Nick Gibb yesterday said: ‘Because of the decision to change from a calculated grade to teacher assessment and the grade inflation that caused, the feedback was there needed to be similar uplift for BTECs.’ He said Pearson was now ‘reviewing all grades and reissuing them, hopefully next week’. 

Around 200,000 Level 1 and 2 entries were due to receive Business and Technology Education Council certificates yesterday, with 250,000 Level 3 grades awarded last week. 

But Professor Alan Smithers, of Buckingham University, said: ‘BTEC students have been betrayed. These students already find it very difficult to compete with A-level students for university places and apprenticeships.’

Grammar school that loves the algorithm

A top boys’ grammar school gained its best ever GCSE results yesterday – as it was boosted by Ofqual’s algorithm. Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet, north London, saw the proportion of pupils achieving levels 8 and 9 – equivalent to an A* – rise to 82 per cent. 

The school had submitted predictions of 79.7 per cent at this level, marginally higher than last year’s figure of 79.4 per cent. No GCSE exams were taken this year due to Covid and schools’ confirmed results. 

Youngsters were awarded the highest out of the grade predicted by exam watchdog Ofqual’s algorithm, or the schools’ own predictions. 

Just over 60 per cent of all Queen Elizabeth’s grades were 9s, against 56.4 per cent last year. Its teacher-assessed grades would have produced a figure of 57.3 per cent. Some 29 pupils achieved grade 9s in all of their subjects as a result. 

Headmaster Neil Enright said: ‘It is difficult to compare 2020 results with previous years, but it is nonetheless worth noting that… these GCSE results are our best ever.’