Education: Regulator begins GCSE grades investigation

The exams regulator will begin its investigation into GCSE gradings this week following claims that thousands of students have been treated unfairly.

Ofqual admitted there were “questions about how grade boundaries were set in a very small number of units across the year”.

There have been threats of legal action from local authorities and teachers after it was revealed that the proportion of GCSEs taken by pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland awarded an A*-C grade had fallen for the first time in 24 years.

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In a letter to the National Association of Head Teachers, Ofqual chief regulator Glenys Stacey wrote: “We recognise the continuing concerns among students, parents and teachers about this year’s GCSE English results.

“We will look closely at how the results were arrived at.

“We will do this quickly, but thoroughly, so that we ensure confidence is maintained in our examinations system.”

Ms Stacey said she expected Ofqual to gather evidence in the coming days before meeting awarding bodies to discuss its findings.

The Department for Education said it welcomed the move, while shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg urged the regulator’s investigation to be comprehensive.

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The Labour MP also called for an independent cross party parliamentary inquiry to find out what happened to cause the “fiasco”.

In an open letter to Education Secretary Michael Gove and Ofqual, the National Association of Head Teachers suggested grade boundaries in English had been “significantly altered” during the year in response to fears the pass rate would rise again.

The union said it had been “inundated” with calls from schools about the situation, and urged Mr Gove to establish an independent inquiry.

The Association of School and College Leaders has insisted it is “not afraid” to take legal action against exam boards over the grade boundary reform.

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Some 69.4 per cent of all GCSE exams were given at least a C grade – down 0.4 percentage points on last summer.

Mr Gove, who has promised to curb so-called “grade inflation”, has rejected suggestions that there had been political interference in GCSE results.

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