Headteachers at Hampshire schools say 'chaos' ensues after GCSE results u-turn

There is ongoing confusion in Portsmouth over how grades are to be presented to students with less than 48 hours before pupils are due to arrive in school.

Schools are unsure if they should use exam-board issued GCSE grades or if they should issue Year 11 pupils with their own listed marks.

This has come about after it was decided to award grades based on their teachers’ assessments, instead of an Ofqual algorithm.

The decision on Monday, when A-level grades were also changed, has caused a massive administrative headache - particularly with the caveat some students could still be awarded their calculated grade if it’s higher than their prediction.

Headteacher at St Edmund’s Catholic School, Simon Graham, said: ‘We are still waiting for clarification as to what is to be presented to students for what are life changing results.

‘If results are sent from the government then we are going to have around 15 hours to cross reference all our marks for all subjects to ensure students are given the correct grades.

‘I think for the young people themselves it must be bemusing to see this situation just days before they are due to get their results.’

Mr Graham, who believes one solution would have been to ensure calculated results were at least within one grade of teacher predictions, added: ‘Chaos would be a kind word to describe the way this has been handled.

‘It’s just been an unfolding chaotic situation which has been very difficult to allow schools to plan.’

It’s a sentiment shared by Oaklands Catholic School headteacher, Matthew Quinn, who was previously critical of the government’s handling of his student’s A-level results.

Mr Quinn said: ‘(Education secretary) Gavin Williamson said that students would find out their actual grade this Thursday with certificates delayed until a week later.

‘Mr Williamson should also know that exam boards do not issue exam certificates until weeks down the line. You would have thought after this almighty shambles, the Department for Education would now get its ducks in a row.’

Mr Quinn added that headteachers had ‘lost faith in the education secretary’.

Headteacher at Priory School in Southsea, Stewart Vaughan, described the decision as ‘extraordinary’, and said the school’s leadership team had already been planning how to appeal downgraded marks.

Mr Vaughan said: ‘I find the whole situation absolutely staggering.

‘The algorithm calculation would have really penalised our students who were expected to perform very well. Looking at past performance doesn’t really work when you have a cohort doing much better than previous years.

‘There will inevitably be some degree of inflation as some students will not perform as well as expected in the exam but, on balance, I think this is the best option. I’m not sure why it has taken five months but it’s the right decision in the end.’

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth education bosses pleased as government u-turns on A-level results

Park Community College headteacher, Chris Anders, believed the u-turn had ‘become inevitable’ and had even started planning in anticipation of the change.

Mr Anders said: ‘It’s frustrating for everyone concerned. As a school we took our predictions incredibly seriously to ensure we were providing accurate information.

‘In the end it seems that children were simply ranked in order and divided up to be given a grade based on the school’s past performance. It was a mathematical solution which didn’t take into account the individual.

‘I think the change was a pragmatic decision based on the number of appeals they were going to receive.’

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