School chiefs are ‘greatly relieved’ following the Government A-level U-turn after ministers heeded calls from the headmaster of Eton College to dump the ‘unfair’ algorithm.
Simon Henderson said that several of pupils had seen their teacher-assessed grades downgraded by the standardising process, sometimes by more than one grade, ‘and in a way which on many occasions we feel is manifestly unfair’.
The Headmasters’ and Headmistress’ Conference, an association of the most prestigious private schools, including Eton, Harrow, Westminster and Winchester have also slammed the system.
Around 40 per cent of exam grades recommended by teachers were downgraded by the algorithm, leading to some pupils losing their university places.
Following the decision by the Government to allow teacher-assessed grades or CAGs to be used to determine exam results, Dr Simon Hyde, the incoming HMC General Secretary and head of the King’s School, Macclesfield, said: ‘The decision on exam grading will come as a great relief to hundreds of thousands of students and parents.
‘It will also provide welcome consistency for heads and teachers who have always had their pupils’ best interests at heart. It’s not perfect but it will do.
Eton College headmaster Simon Henderson said that several of pupils had seen their teacher-assessed grades downgraded by the standardising process
‘The decision to trust teachers to be the best judges of the abilities of their pupils will go a long way to restoring public confidence in the exams system. While the new process is far from problem free, it is the fairest way forward in the circumstances and I know HMC heads will raise themselves to make it work.
‘Ofqual’s decision will also allow them more time to focus on the safe reopening of their schools in September, the best way to provide all pupils with the education they need.
‘Now we need urgent clarity on how universities intend to manage admissions, as there are currently limits to the number of places they can offer. Schools cannot afford a further period of confusion.’
Data previously revealed that, despite grades being downgraded by 8.3 per cent, private schools outshone others when achieving the top marks.
The percentage of A or A* grades rose by 4.7 per cent at independent schools this year, from 43.9 per cent to 48.6 per cent.
The rise is more than double that of any seen in the state sector.
The Headmasters’ and Headmistress’ Conference, an association of the most prestigious private schools, including Eton, Harrow, Westminster and Winchester have slammed the system
In comprehensives, the proportion of pupils achieving the top grade rose by 2 per cent, in academies by 1.7 percent, and in grammars by 1.2 per cent. Sixth form, FE and tertiary colleges meanwhile, saw a rise of just 0.3 per cent.
The algorithm downgraded the grades of children from the wealthiest backgrounds by 8.3 per cent, less than the 10.4 per cent drop for the poorest and the 9.5 per cent drop for middle income teenagers.
Despite this, several private schools have come forward to criticise the government and demand the results are changed for teacher predictions.
Eton head Mr Henderson said that in one subject, it was the first year pupils at the school had studied a particular syllabus, and so there was no direct historic data on prior performance.
‘Rather than accept our CAGs and/or consider alternative historic data in the previous syllabus we had been following (from the same examination board), the board chose instead to take the global spread of results for 2019 and apply that to our cohort,’ he wrote.
‘This failed to take any account of the fact Eton is an academically selective school with a much narrower ability range than the global spread. The results awarded to many boys in this subject bore no relation at all to their CAGs or to their ability. Several have lost university places as a result.’
Dr Simon Hyde, incoming general secretary of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, which represents 296 leading private schools in total, also called on the Government to use teacher-predicted grades.
Thousands of pupils across England have expressed their disappointment at having their results downgraded
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has come under fire for the government’s A-level algorithm – with even some Ofqual board members criticising it
He said: ‘The only way now to stop this intolerable strain on students and teachers is to award the teacher assessment grades or CAGs.
‘Whilst we accept that the unavoidable outcome is grade inflation, we believe this is the less bad option when tens of thousands of students are facing unfair grades, thousands of schools are facing an as yet undeveloped appeals process and most of us need to concentrate our energy on supporting the Prime Minister’s desire to reopen our schools in a few weeks’ time.’
Dr Hyde added: ‘It also allows GCSE grades to be published as planned; the last thing anyone needs is more delay and confusion.’
Grammar schools have also criticised the algorithm.
Dr Mark Fenton, chief executive of the Grammar School Heads Association, told the BBC that ‘a great injustice has been done’ with ‘utterly baffling’ results for some students.
He said the ‘only fair outcome’ available would be to revert to the grades recommended by teachers and for the limit of 5% extra university places in England to be lifted.
The headteacher of a grammar school has said she has lost trust in Ofqual over its handling of the A-level grades crisis.
A-level students hold a sit in protest at the Department for Education over the results fiasco
Kay Mountfield, head of Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘It is clearly obvious to us because our grades are significantly lower than any grades we’ve ever received in the history of the school.
‘They are 10% lower than even the lowest grades we’ve ever received. They bear no resemblance at all to our historic data. So that would be something that any kind of centralised checking process would have picked up immediately.’
She added that schools like hers have seen ‘85% of their student cohort downgraded’.
Ms Mountfield told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘Only 38 students out of 220 have kept their grades. Eighteen were downgraded by three grades, 74 by two grades and they’re scrabbling about for university places that just aren’t there.
‘Seventy of my students have not had their first choice of university – normally that would be about five, or 10 maybe, students.
‘But I have 70 grammar school students, from a range of backgrounds, who have worked very hard for their grades, struggling to get into universities.’
Boris Johnson is facing mounting pressure to announce a U-turn over A-level results chaos amid growing speculation the Prime Minister will set out a change in approach this afternoon.
The PM, who is now on holiday for a week in Scotland, held a conference call with under-fire Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and officials this morning.
Tory backbenchers have reportedly been assured there will be a change in Government policy on exam grades in England set out by the end of the day.
Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem MPs have all attacked the Government’s handling of the row along with furious teachers, union bosses and education leaders.