A HEADTEACHER says the achievement of pupils should not be diminished after a record number were awarded the top grade at A-levels.

Government ministers are thought to be considering an overhaul of the marking system amid concerns that “grade inflation” is undermining confidence in the qualifications.

For the second year in succession, students were given grades based on assessment by their teachers after exams were scrapped due to the Covid pandemic.

The Argus: BHASVIC sixth form college in Dyke Road, HoveBHASVIC sixth form college in Dyke Road, Hove

William Baldwin, principal of Bhasvic sixth form college in Dyke Road, Hove, says the results of his students were “hard won” and “the result of hours of dedicated studying”.

He said: “This is not the year to be making comparisons to previous years or to other providers who have all approached grade awarding in different ways but with absolute integrity.

“Over a longer period of time and with a broader selection of work to assess, more students are able to show they are working at a higher standard than they are in an exam which can come down to the lottery of questions asked and performance on the day.

“This should not in any way detract from the grades achieved this year.”

This year, 50.4 per cent of students at Bhasvic achieved A* to A grades.

Senior Tory MP Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons Education Committee, warned that grade inflation is “baked” into exam results due to the pandemic.

But Education Secretary Gavin Williamson defended this year’s results, as he called on people to celebrate young people’s success during a difficult year.

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “These grades are absolutely worth so much, they are the key for those youngsters to take that next step.

“But we do have to recognise that, as we come out of this pandemic, we will equally have to take steps and take a glide path back to a more normal state of affairs."

Exam board officials say the higher grades reflect the fact that pupils had “multiple chances” to show their knowledge and they were less likely to have a “bad day” in an exam.

Last summer, the fiasco around grading led to thousands of A-level students having their results downgraded from school estimates by a controversial algorithm before Ofqual announced a U-turn.

This year, no algorithm was used to moderate grades.

Instead, schools and colleges in England were asked to provide samples of pupils' work to exam boards, as well as evidence used to determine the grades for the students selected, as part of quality assurance checks.

Random and targeted sample checks of evidence were also carried out after grades were submitted.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “Our advice is to ignore the chat about grade inflation.

“Students should be confident that they are getting the grades they deserve and that reflect the standard of achievement they have demonstrated.”

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