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A-level results 2021: Top grades rise to 44% in record-breaking year

The proportion of top A-level grades handed out this year has increased to more than 44 per cent following the cancellation of exams and switch to teacher assessed grades. The record-breaking results saw 37 per cent of all A-level students in England get three As or better – more than double the 17.9 per cent […]

A-level results 2021: Private schools see bigger jump in top grades

Private schools have seen a bigger jump in the number of top grades than state schools in this year’s A-level results, according to Ofqual. Labour said the figures showed the Conservatives had “opened the door to unfairness”, noting private schools appear more likely to give prior access to questions and face parental pressure over grades. […]

A-level results 2021: Attainment gap widens for black and poorer pupils

Longstanding attainment gaps for both black and poorer students have widened, but Ofqual is unable to untangle whether this is down to Covid lost learning or the use of teacher grades this year. Ofqual has today published student-level equalities analysis of A-level results, which includes data on how likely different groups of pupils are to receive […]

Six things we learned about Ofqual from its annual report

Ofqual received more than 7,000 phone calls last August over the exams fiasco, new figures show. The exams regulator has published its annual report for 2020-21, and once again acknowledged its handling of standardised grades “had a detrimental impact on public trust and confidence in qualifications”. Here are five things we learned from the report. […]

Unhappy exam students can use mock exam results – reports

Pupils in England will be allowed to use “mock exam results” if they are unhappy with the grades they are issued this year, according to reports. Several newspapers reported tonight that ministers have agreed to allow pupils to keep grades given for mock exams – if they are higher than the standardised grades they receive […]