• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Almost 40% of A-level results in England downgraded

One BBC journalist revealed that an “exceptional student” from a “historically low performing school” who had two results downgraded - and lost her place to study at Cambridge as a result.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2020-08-13 13:55
in Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Close to 40 per cent of A-level grades in England have been downgraded from their teachers’ predictions by the exam regulator’s algorithm, with students across the country left heartbroken by their final results.

A-level entries awarded A or A* increased to an all-time high in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to official figures published on Thursday morning, with 27.9 per cent receiving top grades.

But numbers released by regulator Ofqual showed that 39.1 per cent of the 700,000 teacher assessments submitted in England were lowered by one or more grade during the moderation process – and just 2.2 per cent upgraded.

Exams were cancelled due to coronavirus lockdown, with grades given out by teachers and then assessed by Ofqual.

‘Real tragedies’

Many students have been left disappointed as a result. One BBC journalist revealed that an “exceptional student” from a “historically low performing school” who had two results downgraded – and lost her place to study at Cambridge as a result.

No system was ever going to be completely fair but hearing so many real tragedies this morning. Eg told of an exceptional student in an historically low performing school downgraded two grades at A Level. She has a place at @Cambridge_Uni. They’re not accepting her.

— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) August 13, 2020

Social media was filled with other devastating examples. One woman said her sister received centre assessed results of A* A* A and mock results of A A A – but had her final marks downgraded to B B C.

Head teachers said that some lowered grades are “unfair and unfathomable”, with schools reporting “deep frustration” in schools about the confusion caused by last-minute changes to the results system – just hours before grades were set to be published.

RelatedPosts

Labor win presents ‘great opportunity’ in fight to free Julian Assange

‘A rare Murdoch defeat’: Reaction as Scott Morrison accepts defeat in Australian elections

Labor topples Conservatives in Australia as Scott Morrison suffers defeat

Former Tory Party leader calls for benefits to be boosted in line with inflation

Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers’ union, said: “While there has been an overall increase in top grades, we are very concerned that this disguises a great deal of volatility among the results at school and student level.

“We have received heartbreaking feedback from school leaders about grades being pulled down in a way that they feel to be utterly unfair and unfathomable. They are extremely concerned about the detrimental impact on their students.”

my sister got her a-level results today! Her mock results were AAA, her centre assessed results were A*,A,A* which she 100% deserves yet because of clever Boris’ algorithm she’s ended up with BBC … HOW do you come to that result when NONE of her work has ever been graded that pic.twitter.com/yedAUl3LVc

— emily kate pettite (@emilypettite) August 13, 2020

Private schools suffer least

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that “something has obviously gone horribly wrong” with this year’s exam results, adding that “the system has fundamentally failed” young people. He urged the government to rethink.

Nonetheless Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, said that the “majority of young people will have received a calculated grade today that enables them to progress to the destination they deserve, with the added safety net of being able to appeal on the basis of their mock results, as well as the chance of sitting autumn exams”.

Students in England have been assured that they can pick their best results from their given grade or mocks – or will be able to take their exams in the autumn.

However Ofqual has warned that appealing against a grade will impact other students from the same school – because of the rank order system employed. If one student successfully appealed their position in the rank order, it would push another student down – and they would then need to be allowed to appeal.

Ofqual’s figures revealed that pupils at private schools received double the improvement in A* and A grades compared with those attending state comprehensives – while sixth form colleges received only a tiny bump. 

Related: A most unusual year for the Class of 2020

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Veganism Up By 350%

How to stop the Tories: A definitive guide

Heatwave deaths will ‘increase dramatically within 60 years due to global warming’

PMQs – Johnson’s offer of hugs rejected for shrugs as public not taken for mugs

Johnson’s poll lead collapses as Tory MPs mount rebellion against PM

The British people need their voices heard; not simply their accent

These are the jawdropping stats about the 10 years since last interest rate rise

Government advertorials claim success as factory output slows in Feb amid Brexit and Covid supply chain woes

A male and female shellfish dating back more than 400 million years has been discovered

ZOMBIE DRUG WARNING – “Highly addictive” new drug sweeping America

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.