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GCSE grade changes 'affected 10,000 students' GCSE grade changes may face legal challenge
(about 2 hours later)
Late grade changes to English GCSEs meant 10,000 pupils were marked down, according to an educational think tank. The government is facing a possible legal challenge from councils and colleges over grade changes to English GCSEs.
Alan Smithers, of the Centre for Education and Employment Research, warned the marking reforms could have "drastic consequences" for schools. The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) says it may take legal action against exam boards over grading reforms which appear to have denied thousands a C grade in the core exam.
A new marks scheme appears to have unexpectedly denied many pupils the all important C grade in the core exam. And Leeds City Council says it may also launch a similar challenge.
The NAHT union is demanding that Education Secretary Michael Gove sets up an independent inquiry. Education Secretary Michael Gove refused to comment on legal action.
The head teachers' leaders union said it had been inundated with calls about the grade changes, and has written a letter to both Mr Gove and the exams regulator. He has come under mounting pressure from teaching unions who say it is unfair that pupils sitting the exam in June were marked more harshly than pupils who took it in January.
The proportion of GCSEs - taken by pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - awarded an A*-C grade fell for the first time in 24 years.
Malcolm Trobe, of the ASCL, which represents most secondary head teachers, said it was currently gathering information on the situation at schools where there were large numbers of pupils on the boundary between a C and D grade.
"We're examining whether this is hitting any particular groups of young people that are covered by the equal opportunities legislation," he said.
"We are not afraid of taking legal action if that is the appropriate step."
Mr Trobe also called on the education secretary to take "immediate and decisive action".
A statement on the Leeds City Council website by Councillor Judith Blake said: "We do not feel this basic principle of fairness has been adhered to in this case and will be looking with colleagues nationally at the possibility of raising a legal challenge to ensure Ofqual and the government put this right."
AQA, the exam board with the highest market share for English, would not comment specifically on any potential legal challenge to the latest set of results, but did say it has a process in place whereby schools that are unhappy can contact it to discuss their concerns.
Lady Pauline Perry, who speaks on education for the Conservatives in the House of Lords, said years of grade "inflation" needed to be curbed.
"If you think of it like a race, for example, or like something in the Olympics, you do need to be able to have your gold medallists and your silver medallists and your bronze medallists and so on, and that was beginning to be badly eroded, almost everybody got a prize."
The NAHT union is demanding that Education Secretary Michael Gove sets up an independent inquiry into the changes, which one educational think tank says affected thousands of pupils.
Alan Smithers, of the Centre for Education and Employment Research, warned the marking reforms could have "drastic consequences" for schools and that "about 10,000 fewer" pupils have got a C grade in English this year compared with last year.
This would have a "very big effect", he said, because schools are judged on the percentage of their students who get five good GCSEs including English and Maths.
Regulator Ofqual says it believes this year's GCSE grades are correct.Regulator Ofqual says it believes this year's GCSE grades are correct.
But exam boards told reporters on Thursday that the C-D grade boundary had been raised by as much as 10 marks, or 10% in some cases, during the examining period.But exam boards told reporters on Thursday that the C-D grade boundary had been raised by as much as 10 marks, or 10% in some cases, during the examining period.
Obtaining a C-grade in the core subject of English is crucial for pupils wishing to go on to a further education college or to study A-levels.Obtaining a C-grade in the core subject of English is crucial for pupils wishing to go on to a further education college or to study A-levels.
Mr Smithers said that "about 10,000 fewer" pupils have got a C grade in English this year compared with last year.
This would have a "very big effect", he said, because schools are judged on the percentage of their students who get five good GCSEs including English and Maths.
"So there'll be a very big impact there, and there can be quite drastic consequences for the school if they don't meet the minimum standard."
In his letter to England's education secretary Mr Gove and Ofqual chief Glenys Stacey, NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby said he knew from his members the GCSE results they had been anticipating had fallen short.
"As the picture emerged, it appeared that up and down the country English Language GCSE results in particular were down as a result of a different mark scheme being used in June."
This increased the score needed earlier in the year to obtain a grade C, by 10 marks, he said.
Mr Hobby said that "moving the goalposts in this way will jeopardise not only places at sixth-form college and other arenas of post-16 education but university applications and beyond as well as the schools' status with regard to the government's own benchmark".
Legal action?
The Association of School and College Leaders, which represents most secondary head teachers, is reported to be considering legal action against exam boards over the late grading system on the grounds that it could hit ethnic minority pupils and disadvantaged youngsters hardest.
Charles Clarke, former education secretary, told the Today programme that the reforms to the English marking system had been "very badly and unfairly carried out".Charles Clarke, former education secretary, told the Today programme that the reforms to the English marking system had been "very badly and unfairly carried out".
But he also said that the improvement in exam results in recent years was down to rising standards in education.But he also said that the improvement in exam results in recent years was down to rising standards in education.
"The fundamental big picture that exam results have gone up simply because the exams are less rigorous I think is simply untrue. Did your child miss out on a C grade in English? Do you teach GCSE level? You can get in touch using the form below:
"The goal of education policy should be to increase education attainment and achievement for children and young people right across the whole range.
"Government intervention can help to do that and I think improving performances, which reflect the improving quality of children, their better learning, their better abilities, is something that should be desired."
Tracey Hemming, head teacher of Clacton Coastal Academy said: "The issue is that the grade boundaries have changed but essentially these are all exactly the same papers.
"This is a controlled assessment, which the themes are exactly the same for in June and in January, so students are being penalised - bearing in mind what time they took the exam."
Baroness Perry, who speaks on education for the Conservatives in the House of Lords, said the current system needed to change, because grade "inflation" was unfair to high performers.
An Ofqual spokesman said: "We are confident that standards have been maintained and that the grades awarded are right."
Results for pupils who sat GCSEs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were received on Thursday.