London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 26, 2026

Angry and confused' students protest for second day after A-levels downgraded

Hundreds of students gathered in central London today to protest the ‘fiasco’ which saw almost 40% of A Level results being downgraded in England.




Many held signs reading ‘trust our teachers’ as they chanted ‘f*ck Gavin Williamson’ and ‘f*ck Eton’ in Parliament Square.

One of the organisers, Ted Mellow, 18, from Wood Green in north London, said: ‘Everywhere you look, people are either angry or confused and, quite frankly, that’s the Government’s fault.

‘We’re not fighting so that everyone gets A*s and As because we know that’s unrealistic, we’re fighting so that people get the grades they deserve.’

He added: ‘The Government needs to be held accountable for their lack of responsibility. ‘It just seems like they’re not confident in their systems and if they’re not confident, why should I be confident?’

Around 280,000 pupils saw their predicted marks downgraded. In total, 36% of entries were given grades below that predicted by teachers, and 3% were down two grades.

Labour has called the situation a ‘fiasco’ and urged ministers to allow pupils the marks they were given by teachers.

Olivia Styles, 18, from Basingstoke, burned her results in front of a crowd to cheers from protesters.

She said that she was lucky her university plans had not been impacted by her grades being reduced as she had an unconditional offer.

However she was angry that her grades had been lowered from a predicted BBC to BCD.

She said: ‘I just think it is bulls**t, I just don’t want those grades to define me.

‘By burning them it’s sort of saying I don’t accept these results, these are not what I wanted, these are not what I deserved.

‘I wanted to burn them to say I want new results. I want the results I’ve worked hard for over the past two years. I don’t want this piece of paper to define me as a person.’

Today saw the second day of protests in London from pupils angry with their results.

Dozens of students sat down on the floor at the front door of the Department of Education as hundreds filled the street.

Maya Szollosy, 18, from London, said: ‘We’re voting age now, most of us, and we’re young.

‘We’re going to remember this for many years until the general election and I don’t think many students are going to vote for the Conservative Party after what they did to us.’

Three vans of police were at the protest, with three uniformed officers in dark blue face masks at the doors of the Department for Education.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
Autopsy Finds No Violence in Death of Epstein-Linked Model Scout
Indian Education Minister Resigns After Cockroach Youth Protests
California Desert Data-Centre Plan Stalls as Water and Power Disputes Mount
Northern Ireland Border Security Tightened After Military-Grade Explosive Interception
British Hospitality Sector Targets Summer Visitors Through Regional Promotions
England River Access Debate Intensifies After New Data Shows Limited Public Access
Royal Navy Strengthens Maritime Vigilance Amid Rising Security Concerns
UK Education Department Expands Mental Health Support for Young People Entering Work
UK Tourism Industry Launches Summer Campaigns to Boost Domestic Travel
North England Transport Plans Advance to Support Industrial Growth
Financial Markets Watch New Government’s Economic Strategy as Investors Assess Fiscal Risks
Royal Navy Continues Monitoring Russian Naval Activity Near UK Waters
UK Care Workers May Receive Immigration Exemptions Under Proposed Visa Changes
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper Begins Emergency Talks to Address NHS Staffing Shortages
UK Banks Launch High-Interest Savings Offers to Attract Household Deposits
North Sea Oil Drilling Projects Face Delays After Offshore Equipment Accident
Cairngorms Wildfire Highlights Growing Pressure on UK Emergency Services
UK Government Borrowing Plans Put Pressure on Ten-Year Gilt Markets
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Returns After NATO Northern Flank Mission
Metropolitan Police Opens Criminal Investigation Into Reform UK Political Donations
Scottish Government Requests Military Support as Cairngorms Wildfire Forces Emergency Response
Andy Burnham Takes Office as UK Prime Minister and Unveils New Cabinet Team
War, Youth Revolt and the Global Struggle for Control
War, Power and the Rising Price of Political Decisions
High Street Sales Suffer Sharpest Summer Decline in Five Years
Wales Approves Higher Taxes on Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties
Environment Agency Imposes Record £150 Million Penalty on Water Companies
UK Competition Watchdog Blocks U.S. Takeover of Cambridge Chip Designer
Scotland Unveils Land Reform Bill to Expand Renewable Energy Projects
Northern Ireland Secures £500 Million Technology Investment for Belfast Cybersecurity Hub
NHS Rolls Out AI Triage System Across Major Hospitals in England
UK Strengthens North Sea Naval Cooperation With European Allies
UK Chancellor Commits £7 Billion to Accelerate Manchester-Leeds Rail Link
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Cuts After Inflation Falls Below Target
Badenoch Rejects Grant Shapps' Bid to Return as Conservative Candidate
BAE Chief Warns Britain Has Underestimated the Risk of War
Burnham Rules Out New Scottish Independence Referendum in First Talks With Swinney
UK Government Strengthens Northern Economic Agenda Through Manchester Headquarters and Regional Partnerships
United Kingdom Opens New Furness Peninsula Coastal Route Under King Charles the Third England Coast Path
England Reduces Business Costs for Hospitality Sector Through New Relief Package
United Kingdom Allocates Seven Point Three Million Pounds for Zero-Emission Aviation Research
United Kingdom Begins Restoration Works on Portishead Railway Line After Six Decades Without Passenger Services
United States Tariff Measures Create New Trade Challenges for United Kingdom and European Union Businesses
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets Scottish and Welsh Leaders to Promote Regional Growth Cooperation
United Kingdom Government Announces Twenty Percent Business Rates Cut for Pubs, Clubs, and Music Venues
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Opens Manchester Government Headquarters to Shift Decision-Making Away From Westminster
United Kingdom Defence Ministry Says Armed Forces Ready After Iran Accuses London Over US Military Strikes
United Kingdom Inflation Falls to Two Point Six Percent as Prime Minister Andy Burnham Gains Economic Breathing Room
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
×