Opinion

Even if next year’s exams go ahead without disruption, the game is up for our rigged grading system, writes Dennis Sherwood Years ago, there was a TV game show called Tell the Truth. Three contestants presented equally implausible stories, one of which happened to be true. The celebrity panellists had to identify the ‘true’ contestant, […]

The start of compulsory relationships and sex education is a perfect opportunity to model supportive practices in these uncertain times, writes Paula Talman The start of a new academic year can be challenging for both teachers and pupils at the best of times. Add a global pandemic to the mix and it’s hard to imagine […]

Pupils need social and emotional learning more than ever – but a focus on safety and virtual learning could sideline this crucial area, writes Will Millard Schools will fully reopen in September. The start of lockdown in March feels like an eternity ago, and pupils and teachers alike will be approaching September with feelings of […]

Solutions already exist to prevent putting teachers and students in this situation next year, writes Hamid Patel ‘Why did his teachers not believe in him?’ I spoke to a mother this weekend who could not accept that her son’s grades, predicted by his teachers, were fair.  She did not argue that her son had performed […]

The decision to use centre assessed grades means many schools are now suddenly in an unfair position and coming under attack from parents and students. Why? Because they were the schools which heeded the call from education secretary Gavin Williamson to ensure that distribution of grades followed a similar pattern to that in other years, […]

If there’s a debate to be had about exams and algorithms, don’t let it take away from our achievements, says Olivia Eren When picturing my results day this time last year, I had no idea that it would be as chaotic and confusing as it has been over the past few days. The thought of […]

The results are in but the work of ensuring students rebuild their confidence has only just begun, writes Liz Bromley This week, teacher assessments plus adjustments by the qualifications regulator have caused GCSE grade inflation by some 20 per cent between grades 6 to 9, with more than 25 per cent more students receiving grades […]

There is a simple way for government to avoid this shoddy recent history from repeating itself, writes Alison Peacock Congratulations to all young people celebrating their GCSE grades this week. It is important that students and their families can justifiably celebrate the marks allocated and to use these exam results to ensure that they can […]

So, the game of rock-paper-scissors with kids’ exam results has been settled. If, at various points, we’ve had moderated grades trumping centre assessment grades (CAGs), and mocks trumping moderated grades, we’re now in a situation where both CAGs and moderated grades will count, with pupils awarded the higher of the two. So, what impact can […]