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
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 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
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
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 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
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
Gavin Williamson today gave his full backing to Ofqual just one day after blaming the exam regulator for the Government’s A-level results chaos. The Department for Education said in a statement issued this afternoon that ‘we have full confidence in Ofqual and its leadership’. Mr Williamson had said yesterday the regulator ‘didn’t deliver’ the grading system … Read more
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
Some Ofqual board members want to get rid of their own controversial A-level algorithm after almost 40 per cent of grades were downgraded by the system. Critics have complained the algorithm used by Ofqual penalised pupils in schools in more disadvantaged areas, while benefiting those in private schools. Some board members now believe the algorithm … Read more