Exams will be graded ‘as if pupils had sat them’

Pupils have been reassured that the GCSE and A Levels they get this year will be ‘indistinguishable’ from previous ones.

Thousands of 16 and 18-year-olds left in limbo by the lockdown in schools were given clearer guidance yesterday about the marks process with results due before the end of July.

Teachers will award grades for subjects according to what they ‘believe the student would have received if exams had gone ahead’, the Department for Education said.

There will be an appeals system so students who dispute grades can still sit exams early in the next academic year.

The DfE said: ‘In terms of a permanent record, the grades will be indistinguishable from those in other years.’ Teachers will have to take into account ‘a range of evidence and data’, such as mock exam results and other school work.

Pupils will also have the option to sit their exams next summer.

Thousands of 16 and 18-year-olds left in limbo by the lockdown in schools were given clearer guidance yesterday about the marks process with results due before the end of July

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: ‘My priority is to ensure no young person faces a barrier when it comes to moving onto the next stage of their lives.

‘I have asked exam boards to work closely with the teachers who know their pupils best to ensure their hard work and dedication is fairly recognised.’

Some education experts hope the new model may encourage a move towards a ‘less brutal system’ of pupil assessment.

Nansi Ellis, of the National Education Union, said: ‘We welcome this announcement. Evidence shows teacher-assessed grades are reliable and valid.’