A-level results: Colleges report more than half of grades being marked down

Mason Boycott-Owen
·31-min read

A number of schools in the UK have reported that they have had more than half of their grades adjusted down, according to the Association of Colleges (AoC).

In a letter to Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, it called for an urgent review into the moderation process.

David Hughes, chief executive of the AoC, said: "Colleges with large cohorts and very stable and predictable results over time are seeing their lowest grade profile ever, particularly at the higher grades, A to C."

It adds: "We cannot stand by when the evidence suggests that many thousands of students may have missed out on their grades because of a systemic bias."

It comes as a total of 39.1 per cent of grades in England were lowered from teachers’ predictions, data from the exam regulator Ofqual showed.

The majority of grades (35.6 per cent) were lowered by one grade, while 3.3 per cent were pulled down by two grades and 0.2 per cent were bought down by three grades.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader tweeted: "Something has obviously gone horribly wrong with this year's exam results.

"The Government needs to urgently rethink. We need to guarantee the right to individual appeals, the fee for appeals waived and nothing to be ruled out, including the U-turn that was forced on the Scottish Government last week."

Follow the latest updates below.

Oxbridge College League Table 2019 (Article)
Oxbridge College League Table 2019 (Article)

02:14 PM

What we've learned today

Today's news has seen jubilation and heartbreak for students up and down the UK as they collected their A-level results, with many getting a nasty surprise as grades were marked down - here is what you may have missed:

  • A total of 39.1 per cent of grades in England were lowered from teachers’ predictions, data from the exam regulator Ofqual showed.
  • However, the proportion of candidates receiving top grades is the highest on record. A total of 27.9 per cent of entrants scored either an A or A.* Some 9.0% of entrants received an A*, another record high.
  • Girls have extended their lead over boys in the top grades. The proportion of girls who got A or higher was 28.4 per cent, 1.1 percentage points higher than boys.
  • Over a third of sixth form colleges saw their overall results drop, according to snap poll by  the Sixth Form Colleges Association
  • the University and College Union (UCU), said that the Government “needs to accept it has got this badly wrong, stop trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat and keep things simple by using teacher predictions - as happened in Scotland."
  • Analysis of data from Ofqual found that the number of grades at A and above rose by 4.7 percentage points in private schools compared to last year - the highest of any type of institution.
  • Working class students are more likely to see their grades marked down than well-off pupils.
  • Shadow education secretary Kate Green said: “It is a huge injustice that pupils will see their results downgraded just because of their postcode.”
  • The President of the National Union of Students, Larissa Kennedy has said that students have not got the grades they wanted  "due to a classist, racist moderation system."

01:59 PM

'I've missed out on university because of an unfair system' - Students react to A-level results

There have been calls for the Government to make a U-turn on A-level results after figures indicated that close to 40 per cent of A-level grades have been downgraded. 

It was an academic year like no other and for some the outcome has been disappointment. While some students will now look to appeal their results, others will be preparing for life away from home as they head off to university. 

To gain an insight into how A-level students are feeling after a surreal academic year, we’ve spoken to a number of students about their results as well as how they feel that schools and the Government have handled a summer without exams

You can read here about how current A-level students are feeling after this stressful day.

01:43 PM

Ofqual confirms classmates' grades are safe in appeal

Further to our post at 14:13, Ofqual have confirmed to the Telegraph that no student could see their grade go down while a classmate sees theirs go up from an appeal.

When asked, a spokesman said: "Students cannot appeal their judgements of their centre – either the CAG or rank order. 

Centres can appeal if they believe something has gone wrong in processing the results – for example if there has been an error in submitting the data such as a rank order of students.

However, as there is grade protection this year, no grades will go down as a result of an appeal."

01:33 PM

Introducing Generation Asterisk – the cohort of students forever marked by Covid

For the Class of 2020, the exam of life begins today. Will their unique A-levels be a badge of honour or a bad report they can't escape? Harry de Quetteville writes:

It is celebrated, or feared, as a moment of truth. For whether they are received in joy or trepidation, at least exam results usually feel like that: the truth. A yardstick. An assessment whose rules, for all their knots and warps, were known at the outset, not just of the school year, but of every student’s school career from the moment they toddled into reception.

Not this year.

This year there is not one yardstick, but three – mocks, estimated grades, and resits. This year, using teachers’ predictions, almost 40pc of children were awarded the highest marks – 11pc higher than the previous record.

This year the moment of truth has been replaced by a miasma of doubt; the distilling of hopes and dreams, of university and career, has been replaced by uncertainty and the prospect of snide comments for ever more: “Ah yes, you got your results in 2020.” Not so much A star as A asterisk – marked out for eternal doubt like the performances of thickly-bearded East German female athletes in the 1980s.

You can read the full piece here.

01:13 PM

Could Ofqual knock your A down to a B if you don't appeal?

Sky News are reporting that Ofqual have warned that appealing against a grade could affect the grades of other students at your school.

If one student appeals against their grade then this could push other students further down, because of the "rank order system."

The implication being that all non-appealed grades are not finalised until after appeals are dealt with.

Ofqual have been contacted for clarification.

01:02 PM

Students' A*s in wrong subjects diminish university hopes

Two college students said they will appeal against their moderated A-level grades after potentially missing out on university places due to being given A*s in the "wrong subjects".

To study Classics at Cambridge, Thomas Chandler needed an A* in either English literature or German but was graded As for both, scoring an A* in art instead.

The 18-year-old from Richmond, North Yorkshire, said: "It's really frustrating because leading up to this I was getting A* in the course work and in class.

"I haven't been rejected, Cambridge are still waiting to make their decision. Everyone else is able to celebrate and I am left in the air," he said.

Students at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, after they received their A-Level results talking to Keir Starmer - PA 

He met Keir Starmer, who listened to his disappointment. The Labour leader also spoke to Joseph Rice, who has been rejected by Warwick University where he had applied to study maths.

Joseph, 18, from Darlington, scored A* in maths and physics and As in further maths and chemistry. He needed an A* in further maths to get in to Warwick.

He said: "I'm a bit baffled as to why I have got an A and didn't receive an A*. Obviously I'm extremely disappointed with that.

"I cannot go to university to do the course I want to do, I feel like I have been let down."

Sir Keir Starmer talking to students at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington - PA 

12:50 PM

"They've had months co come up with a sollution"

One student said he was "disheartened and angry" after coming away with two C-grades and one D for his A-levels. Charlie Heron, from Shenfield High School in Essex, said he will not be allowed to appeal so will sit exams in October.

He told PA: "I've also asked what my teacher-predicted grades were, and they've come back saying they were the same (C-D-C). This is where I'm confused, as I applied on Ucas with the grades A-A-B.

"So as it stands at the moment, I'm disheartened and angry, but given the chance to resit in October I'm going to take it and prove I can achieve my grades."

"I'd say the system isn't very fair. I know that the circumstances were unforeseen but they've had months to come up with a solution and a lot of us are still quite unclear of our next steps," he said.

12:33 PM

Watch: 'Something has gone horribly wrong' with exam results says Keir Starmer

12:20 PM

Government facing more calls to follow Scotland and U-turn on decision

On Tuesday, Scotland's Education Secretary announced that lowered marks would be reverted back to teachers' estimates following an outcry.

Unions are now calling for ministers in England to use teachers' predicted grades.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), said: "The Government needs to accept it has got this badly wrong, stop trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat and keep things simple by using teacher predictions - as happened in Scotland."

Larissa Kennedy, president of the National Union of Students (NUS), said: "England must follow Scotland's lead and scrap moderated grades, moving to give all students their teacher assessed grades.

"We must look at what this will mean for individual students without such action, many of whom will miss out on opportunities to attend the university of their choice because of this process."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the Scottish Parliament, during Education Secretary, John Swinney - PA

12:09 PM

Private schools see biggest increase in top grades

Analysis of data from Ofqual found that the number of grades at A and above rose by 4.7 percentage points in private schools compared to last year - the highest of any type of institution.

Sixth forms, further education and tertiary colleges saw the lowest shift of just 0.3 percentage points.

Academies saw a rise of 1.7 points, while comprehensives and selective state schools all saw a rise of 2.0 and 1.2 respectively.

12:00 PM

Over a third of sixth form colleges saw their overall results drop, according to snap poll

The Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) said principals have found huge variations between the A-level exam grades predicted by teachers and the actual grades awarded.

Bill Watkin, chief executive of the SFCA, said the Government's model for calculating this year's grades was "flawed and unreliable".

He said: "A fundamental objective of the process was to ensure year-on-year comparability in exam results - the very clear evidence from our members is that the standardisation model has utterly failed to achieve this."

A snap poll of 100 SFCA members suggests more than a third of principals saw their overall exam results drop below their historic performance.

Mr Watkin added: "The only way the Government can rescue this situation, and ensure that thousands of students are not disadvantaged, is to base results entirely on centre-assessed grades - the predictions made by teachers.

"This is the only alternative to what has proved to be a failed experiment by the Government to develop a fair process of standardisation."

11:51 AM

Watch: Mixed emotions for A-level students with almost 40 per cent of results downgraded

11:40 AM

Why not getting into Oxford changed me for the better

As some A-level students now find out they have not achieved the grades for Oxford and for those who didn't make their offer this may be a hammer blow for your ambitions.

But, despite what teachers may tell you, Oxford isn't the be-all and end-all, as our writer Lizzie Frainier explains:

When I was 17, in one absolute stonker of a week, I failed my driving test, a snowstorm cancelled my Christmas flight to visit my dad, and I was rejected from the University of Oxford. The latter happened not once, but five times.

That’s right: a letter arrived at my home telling me I was unsuccessful, a further two were sent to my school, a digital version winged its way into my inbox and then finally a UCAS message confirmed it all. Those university professors really knew how to knock me when I was down. Message most certainly received.

I can still clearly remember standing in the hallway, having torn open the letter I had been checking the post for every afternoon since my three-day stint of interviews in Oxford.

I sat down on the floor and cried. I had failed. What felt like 18 years of working towards one goal was torn away from me in a moment. I didn’t know what I wanted or where I should go from here.

You can read her full piece here.

Graduates in traditional robes in silhouette walk in Oxford University - Getty Images 

11:31 AM

Working class students more likely to see their grades marked down than well off pupils

Some 85.0% of candidates classed as having a "low" socio-economic status by exam regulator Ofqual had been predicted to achieve a C and above by their schools.

This fell to 74.6% once final grades were calculated under this year's new moderation process - a drop of 10.4 percentage points.

By contrast, the proportion of students from the least deprived backgrounds, or "high" socio-economic status, awarded a C and above fell by 8.3 percentage points during the process, from 89.3% to 81.0%.

11:26 AM

"How can I go anywhere with these?"

Abbie Cooper, an AS-level student from Cwmbran, said she was "distraught" after receiving two Ds and a U.

The 17-year-old said: "Last year I couldn't attend college a lot due to anxiety and mental health issues but any time I did a mock or a piece of work I'd still get a D, a C or a B. The Ds that I did get had been improved to a B and a C at the end of the year, and my predicted at the end of the year was a B-B-B.

"I thought I'd pretty much secured at least a C, but I checked my results this morning and it said U-D-D."

Abbie, who attends Colleg Gwent, received D grades in politics and psychology and a U in biology and is now worried about what the results will mean for her university prospects.

"It kind of feels like they just got a number generator or a letter generator and given you a grade based on that," she said.

"It sucks because I need these to apply for university next year because these are my predicteds for university. How can I go anywhere with these?"

11:16 AM

Can I appeal my A-level results?

With more and more reports flooding in of students who were previously straight A or B students seeing their grades plummet, many parents will be wondering: how do we appeal these results?

For those who have missed their grades, you have a number of options.

Talk to your teachers and family about your options. These could any of the following:

  • Accepting your insurance offer 
  • Appealing your grades 
  • Re-taking your A-levels in October 
  • Opting for neither your firm or insurance offer, and going through the clearing process to try for a different university 

Click here to read our full guide on how to weigh up what choice is right for you.

Students at Newham Collegiate Sixth Form queue to receive their A-Level results in east London - AFP 

10:59 AM

Ofqual: Working class students were given better predicted grades

Dr Michelle Meadows, executive director for strategy, risk and research at Ofqual told reporters that its analyses showed there was "no evidence of systematic bias" in the exam assessment model used this year.

She said: "Outcomes for different groups, whether that be by socio-economic status, ethnicity, gender, the outcomes for these groups are very similar to those in previous years."

Commenting on whether there was a relationship between social disadvantage and the moderation of exam results, she said: "There was a tendency for some more generosity to be there in the predictions for students with lower socio-economic status, backgrounds."

10:51 AM

Boys less likely to be encouraged to go to university than girls, says new research

New research from online tutoring platform, MyTutor, shows that less than half of boys in the UK are being encouraged to go into higher education. It found:

  • Only 45 per cent of boys nationally had been encouraged to pursue Higher Education, this compares to 50 per cent of girls
  • 26 per cent of boys believe that the quality of education they received prevented them from reaching their full potential and, as a result, is holding them back in their career.
  • However, 21 per cent of boys were encouraged to go into STEM fields at school, compared to just 12 per cent of women.

10:44 AM

Watch: Universities asked to show 'maximum amount of flexibility' towards A-level students on results day

Gavin Williamson has said that universities should show the "maximum amount of flexibility" for incoming students as they try and secure places at higher education institutions across the UK today.

10:34 AM

Student rejected from course because of marked down grades

Ellie French, an A-level student from Basildon, accused exam boards of "playing around with people's futures" after her downgraded results meant she was rejected from her chosen university course.

Ellie, 18, had been hoping to study history at Nottingham, but her C in history, despite A-grades in English and politics, means she was turned down and will now go through clearing.

She told PA she was "expecting an A at least" in history and added: "In all of my mocks I've ever done, I've never got lower than a B. I've never ever got a C, I'm always As and Bs.

"My school sent me my results and they also put the teacher assessed and final mock grade on it as well as our final grade, and for me history read: Final mock grade: A; teacher assessment: A; final grade: C."

"I'm just really annoyed and confused. If I did the exam I would have got the grades I was meant to get. It just feels so stupid. I feel like they don't really know what they're doing.

"They've really messed it up. I blame the exam boards and I think they're just playing around with people's futures."

10:19 AM

Alternatives to university: a guide to your options after A-levels

Despite university being the destination of choice for many receiving their A-levels today, university isn't necessarily for everyone.

There are some alternative career paths that don't involve the commitment (and debt) of a university degree.

Just 59 per cent of graduates were in full-time employment 15 months after finishing their degree, according to HESA data from 2017-18, meaning you may want to get a head start on your peers and get into employment sooner rather than later.

You can read our full guide to the alternatives to university here.

09:57 AM

NUS President: moderation is classist and racist

The President of the National Union of Students, Larissa Kennedy has said that students have not got the grades they wanted  "due to a classist, racist moderation system."

09:54 AM

Britain's highest paying degrees, according to UK graduate salaries

In an age where students have to fork out large tuition fees, the courses - like law, business and economics - that result in the highest graduate salaries are becoming increasingly attractive.

While monetary earnings aren't everything in a degree, it's important to know the sorts of graduate salaries you can expect to earn after graduating - and there are some big discrepancies depending on what you choose.

It is certainly true that some courses at top universities can give you some of the highest paying degrees, adding tens of thousands to the average starting salary.

See if your course is one of those which could see you earning well straight out of university:

You can read the full analysis here.

09:40 AM

Student with five A* grades feels she 'can't fully own' A-level results

A student who received five A* grades at A-level and plans to study medicine at Cambridge University has said she feels she cannot "fully own" her results as she did not sit exams this year.

Ranya Kumar, 18, collected four A* grades at Norwich School on Thursday in addition to an A* in maths from last year.

She said she was "very happy" to get the grades needed to go to Cambridge, but it was a "hard feeling" to know they were awarded by an algorithm.

"I feel that I can't fully own my results because I didn't write the exams, which is a hard feeling," said Ranya, of Norwich.

This comes alongside the news  as girls outperformed boys in A-level sciences.

09:22 AM

Ofqual marking may have "entrenched" lower grades for working class students

Northern Powerhouse Partnership Director Henri Murison said about today’s A-level results:

“We are concerned that the Ofqual algorithm may well have entrenched regional disparities, based largely on the high concentration of long-term disadvantaged students and specifically ethnic groups who often perform less well on average, such as white working class young people, in schools which in a significant number of cases have been improving quickly.

"The percentage of awards at A and A* was already higher in London than any of the three Northern regions, but that gap has widened – by 1.2 per cent from the North West, a full percentage point from the North East and 0.7 per cent from Yorkshire and the Humber."

09:15 AM

Labour calls downgraded results a "huge injustice"

Shadow education secretary Kate Green has called on ministers to act to end the "injustice" suffered by A-level students in England who had had their results downgraded. "It is a huge injustice that pupils will see their results downgraded just because of their postcode," she said.

"Ministers must act urgently to correct the injustice faced by so many young people today. Students must be able to lodge their own appeals if they haven't got the grade they deserved and admissions teams must be forced to be more flexible.

"No student should see their dreams slip away because of this Government's inaction."

09:06 AM

In pictures: students celebrate their results

Though there are  scenes of jubilation than we saw last year due to the pandemic and social distancing, some students still managed to go into school to collect their results.

A sixth form student is embraced after receiving her A-Level results at The Crossley Heath Grammar School - REUTERS
Olivia Gaskin (centre, holding results) reacts as students at Norwich School, Norwich, receive their A-Level results - PA
Henry Muxworthy with his A Level results at Ffynone House School - Getty Images Europe 
Benita Stipp (centre) and Mimi Ferguson (left) react as students at Norwich School, Norwich, receive their A-Level results - PA
Students burn their A-Level results at London Dungeons - REUTERS 

08:55 AM

Where does your Oxbridge college rank?

For those lucky enough to have bagged a place at one of the UK's foremost universities, you may be wondering how your college compares against the rest.

Here's our hand league table to tell you how yours stacks up against the competition:

You can get the grips with the full interactive tool here.

08:50 AM

You don't need top grades to do Top Gear

In his yearly message to students who didn't get the grades they wanted, Jeremy Clarkson is building a large house with far reaching views of the Cotswolds.

08:45 AM

Almost 40 per cent of A-level results downgraded

Camilla Turner, our Education Editor , along with Dominic Gilbert and Alex Clark from our data team have crunched the numbers and found that almost 40 per cent of top grades were marked down by Ofqual:

Close to 40 per cent of A-level grades were downgraded, figures show, amid calls for the Government to U-turn on its grading system.

A total of 39.1 per cent of grades in England were lowered from teachers’ predictions, data from the exam regulator Ofqual showed.

The majority of grades (35.6 per cent) were lowered by one grade, while 3.3 per cent were pulled down by two grades and 0.2 per cent were bought down by three grades.

You can read the full story here.

08:35 AM

Record year for top grades

Today's results are in, and it's a record high for top grades including A*s, As and overall pass rates:

  • The proportion of candidates receiving top grades is the highest on record. A total of 27.9 per cent of entrants scored either an A or A*, up from 25.5 per cent in 2019.
  • Some 9.0% of entrants received an A*. This is another record high, and is up from 7.8 per cent last year.
  • The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 98.3 per cent - again, another record high. It is up from 97.6 per cent in 2019.
  • Girls have extended their lead over boys in the top grades. The proportion of girls who got A or higher was 28.4 per cent, 1.1 percentage points higher than boys (27.3 per cent).
  • The most popular subject this year was maths. It was taken by 94,168 entrants, up 2.5 per cent on 2019.
  • There were 780,557 A-levels awarded, down 2.6 per cent on last year's total (801,002) and the lowest number since 2004.
Holly Cuttiford hugs her mum after receiving her A Level results at Ffynone House School in Swansea, Wales - Matthew Horwood /Getty Images Europe 

08:32 AM

How were grades be calculated without exams

Camilla Turner, our Education Editor, explains exactly how students grades were calculated this year in the absence of exams:

Ofqual, the exam regulator, is not going to publish the full statistical model that is has used to calculate grades until results day. So far, Ofqual has said which datasets will be used in the model although it has not specified the weighting that each dataset has been given.  The datasets that will be used in the statistical model include:

  • The exam results of students who took the same subject at the same school in 2017, 2018 and 2019
  • Prior attainment data on students at the same school in 2017, 2018 and 2019
  • Prior attainment data on this year’s students.

You can read the full piece here.

08:18 AM

Students frustrated by Covid-19

According to research done by digital learning platform, Quizlet:

  • 27% of A Level student are upset at having to miss exams which could have impacted their final grade
  • Nearly a third (29%) have cancelled their gap year plans due to the pandemic
  • 30% are now considering a change in degree course, having had time to reflect 
  • 75% feel ‘upset’ that they are missing out on a traditional graduation ceremony 

With all this upheaval, it is likely that this cohort of students will need more mental health support than ever.

08:01 AM

30 per cent rise in 18-year-olds going to university

Ucas figures show 316,730 of applicants from the UK have been accepted on to their first choice of course - up 2.7 per cent on the same point in 2019.

The number of UK 18-year-olds taking up places has risen to 30.2 per cent. This comes despite a 1.5 per cent drop in the population of this age group in the UK.

So far, 4 per cent of placed UK students are currently planning to defer starting their course, which is the same proportion as at this point last year.

07:55 AM

Oxbridge students celebrate meeting their offers

Along with many students confirming their places at universities across the country, many have made their parents very proud by making it into Oxford and Cambridge.

07:46 AM

How to recession-proof your degree choice

For this year's students, the financial impact of the largest recession on record could be immense. After a three year degree, the hope is that they will emerge into an economy that has completely recovered from coronavirus, with jobs galore in every sector.

Yet, for those worried that this may not be the case, here are some of the decisions you can make to recession-proof your choice of degree.

shuttered shop fronts on an empty shopping street in London - TOLGA AKMEN /AFP 

07:32 AM

Keir Starmer: Results day more challenging due to Government incompetence

 The Labour leader in his message to students that results day can be an "anxious time for young people, parents and families," it has been made worse by "the Government’s incompetence."

07:27 AM

The results are in

The total number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has risen with 358,860 taking up places so far, up 2.9 per cent on the same point last year, initial Ucas figures show.

If you're opening your results to find, to your and perhaps parents' surprise, that you've aced your A-levels and done much better than expected, then you can find out here how to upgrade your university place.

If your grades do not look quite as expected, there is still time to appeal your grades. Find out how to do that here.

07:18 AM

Ucas problems as website crashes for some

Reports are filtering through on social media of the Ucas website crashing for some students. If you're also struggling, you will not be the only one.

07:15 AM

Your guide to times, grades and next steps

Today is going to be quite hectic for a lot of families - so it is best to be prepared.

Here is our comprehensive guide of what you need to know from throughout the day - from when to expect your grades, to appeals and clearing.

You can read the full piece here.

07:02 AM

Late clearing process gives hopes for students

Gavin Williamson said a "late clearing process" is expected to be available for pupils who opt to sit A-level exams in the autumn.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there will be more pupils this year with higher grades than 2019, adding: "There's going to be more youngsters in a position where their grades are going to meet the usual exam expectations of those universities."

On the autumn exams, he explained: "We have been working with the university sector and we've had early discussions about making sure there's a system of clearing that can be run for youngsters to be able to start their university a little bit later than they would have ideally been wanting to do in September/October, but be in a situation of where they'd be able to join the university in January and running a sort of late clearing process."

For more information on how to navigate clearing this year, we have answered all your burning questions here.

06:59 AM

What do you say to a child who is about to be given grades for exams she hasn’t even sat?

If you're a parent urgently awaiting your child's results, entirely unsure what to tell them, then here are some helpful words from Victoria Pougatch on how to explain a results day like no other:

This is my third set of A-levels as a parent. The third and the most stressful. What do you say to a child who is about to be given grades for exams she hasn’t even sat? How do you calm a child when the news is relentlessly bleak? This isn’t a normal pre-results fear. 

My daughter has already started apologising. She’s convinced her grades are going to be lowered and doesn’t want us to be disappointed in her. She’s worried about her class ranking. Who pits a group of stressed teenagers living under forced lockdown against each other? Exams were never about classroom league tables. What a great message to pass on to these anxious teenagers: that to succeed, someone else needs to fail. And fail some will - courtesy of a computer.

They’ve had no final assembly, no end of school balls or parties. Their wings were clipped when they were unceremoniously kept at home. On Thursday, many children will feel they might never fly.

You can read the full piece here.

Highs and lows: Students collecting their A-Level results in Norwich last year - PA 

06:46 AM

No further changes to grading system, warns Gavin Williamson

The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson ruled out further changes to the grading system in the face of any exams backlash.

He told Times Radio: "What is clear to me is there will be some youngsters, no matter how much we try to do in terms of this system to maximise the fairness of it, who don't get the grade they should have potentially have got.

"That's why we need to have a really robust system, that's why we've got the triple lock."

Asked if he was prepared to change the system again amid threats of legal action from parents, Mr Williamson replied: "We're not going to be changing this system again.

Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson  - ANDY RAIN/Shutterstock 

06:42 AM

Results day live

Good morning. Today thousands of students will be receiving the results for their weirdest set of results - grades for exams which they never sat.

Stay with us here as we bring you the latest data, analysis and comment from around the country and unpick what will be a difficult day for some as many try to secure their places at their dream universities.

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