Students could sit mini-exams at home as Ofqual proposes teachers will assess final results

Students could take ‘mini-exams’ at home to help teachers determine their GCSE and A Level grades with results day being brought forward to July. The qualifications watchdog Ofqual published plans yesterday which outline how they propose teachers assess students this year after exams have been cancelled. Through a consultation, Ofqual suggests that teachers should make … Read more

GCS-easy? Exam grade boundaries should be lowered to compensate for the pandemic, Ofqual says

GCSE and A-Level grade boundaries should be LOWERED next year to compensate for pandemic, Ofqual says Ofqual is urging Government to ensure that exams are ‘less daunting’ in 2021  Chief regulator Dame Glenys Stacey has written letter to Education Secretary  Argues that pandemic is impacting learning so exams should be more lenient By Ross Ibbetson … Read more

Gavin Williamson refuses to say Ofqual is ‘fit for purpose’ after exams fiasco

Gavin Williamson refuses to say Ofqual is ‘fit for purpose’ after exams fiasco as he agrees ministers should have ‘a greater degree of oversight’ in the wave of A-Level and GCSE grade crisis  By David Wilcock, Whitehall Correspondent For Mailonline Published: 11:37 BST, 16 September 2020 | Updated: 11:37 BST, 16 September 2020 Gavin Williamson … Read more

Ofqual chief says adopting results algorithm was a ‘fundamental mistake’

The chairman of Ofqual today claimed Gavin Williamson was urged not to cancel exams and the A-level results debacle had ‘rapidly’ got out of control under the leadership of the Education Secretary.  Roger Taylor told the Education Select Committee that earlier this year the regulator had made clear to Mr Williamson that it believed the … Read more

Ofqual chief regulator Sally Collier QUITS in wake of A-Level and GCSE grades chaos

The chief executive of exam regulator Ofqual quit today, days after a furious row over A-Level and GCSE grades in England. Sally Collier resigned as chief regulator after four years in the role and will be replaced temporarily by her predecessor Dame Glenys Stacey. Ms Collier, a career civil servant, had come in for criticism over … Read more

Ofqual boss threatened to quit unless Gavin Williamson gave his public backing

Ofqual boss threatened to quit unless Gavin Williamson gave his public backing to embattled exams regulatory after A-levels results U-turn Roger Taylor demanded a public statement of support from Gavin Williamson He was speaking in wake of Government’s U-turn over A-level and GCSE results In aftermath Mr Williamson refused to declare his ‘confidence’ in the … Read more

Ofqual was told its algorithm was ‘doomed’ a MONTH ago but ‘ignored the warnings’ 

Watchdog Ofqual knew its algorithm was ‘doomed’ as far back as June but pressed ahead anyway, it has been claimed. An adviser who helped it develop the software said there was ‘always an understanding there would be winners and losers’. Ofqual has always said its system was as ‘fair as possible’ – despite so many … Read more

Exam regulator Ofqual chiefs had no prior education experience

A jazz-loving ex-journalist who flunked his A-Levels and a career civil servant with no previous education experience: Calls for six-figure figures behind Ofqual exams shambles to quit Chairman Roger Taylor is a former journalist turned medical businessman Sally Collier is a career civil service but had not worked in education before Both were appointed in … Read more

Ofqual board members ‘want to ditch their own A-level algorithm’

Examination body Ofqual has blamed the government for the chaos over A-level results, with a leading member claiming ‘policy changes every 12 hours’ led to the debacle.  Professor Tina Isaacs, who sits on Ofqual’s advisory group, told BBC Breakfast: ‘Ofqual’s role is to carry out Government policy. And when policy shifts every 12 to 24 … Read more

A-level farce goes on as Ofqual SUSPENDS criteria hours after saying appeals could be based on mocks

The exams regulator for England has dramatically suspended its criteria for students hoping to challenge their A-level grades on the basis of their results in mock exams. In a brief statement, Ofqual said the policy was ‘being reviewed’ by its board and that further information would be released ‘in due course’. No reason for the … Read more