Changes to GCSE and A-Level grading system 'a relief' in York

Exams won't take place this year.

Author: Benjamin FearnPublished 25th Feb 2021

Teachers will decide what grades GCSE and A-Level students get this Summer, after exams were cancelled because of the pandemic.

Teachers will be able to draw on a range of evidence when determining grades, including mock exams, coursework or other work completed as part of a pupil's course, such as essays or in-class tests.

Exam boards will provide teachers with optional assessment questions for students to answer to also help schools decide which grades to award.

No algorithms for assessing grades will be used.

Luke Castle is a Year 13 sixth form student from Strensall, and told Greatest Hits Radio York: "I have full confidence in my teachers, and we've faced a lot of disruption over the last year.

"Exams would've been unfair, because we had self-isolation and there wasn't consistency for everyone.

"Now that teachers are doing our grades it'll give some reassurance. It's not perfect, but it's the next step in trying to get a fair grading system.

"It's difficult to find the middle ground on this, but it's better than the initial approach last year with algorithms.

"There hasn't been empathy from some people who aren't students; some of them thought even the algorithm approach was an easy way out, but it's not.

"I've been self-isolating quite a lot, and I will admit that I'm not as confident as I was in Year 12. We're normally trained to be organised going into exam mode, but obviously the pandemic has taken away the organisational aspect.

"I think we'll finish sixth form with the Government plans, and we'll hopefully have a reasonable end to the sixth form year.

The schools minister has defended the move, after experts warned of widespread grade inflation.

Nick Gibb said the Government trusts the judgment of teachers: "They're the people who know their pupils best.

"On top of that, there are all these checks both at the school level and at the exam boards level to make sure that we do get consistency and there is a range of evidence that backs up the judgment of that teacher when they send the grades to the exam board.

"There are all kinds of detailed guidance from the exam board to make sure that teachers across the country are applying their judgment in a consistent and fair way.''