London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 13, 2025

MPs fear 'wild west' of A-level and GCSE exam grades in England

MPs fear 'wild west' of A-level and GCSE exam grades in England

Education committee warns lack of guidance may cause inconsistencies and rampant grade inflation
A lack of government guidance over this year’s A-level and GCSE awards in England risks creating a “wild west” of inconsistent decisions and rampant grade inflation, MPs have warned.

In a letter to the education secretary, the Commons education select committee demanded answers to a range of issues within the next three weeks, telling Gavin Williamson “we have a real fear that the package of measures being proposed, as it stands, risks much higher grade inflation happening this summer”.

In January the government announced that formal exams for GCSEs and A-levels this summer would be cancelled, along with vocational qualifications such as BTecs. Instead grades would be awarded by teacher assessment, with exam boards providing quality assurances.

But MPs on the education committee remain unhappy at the process to be used by the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual, the exam regulator for England.

“Without standardised assessments and with a lack of external, impartial assessors to provide the checks and balances to guarantee fairness, there is every possibility of a ‘wild west’ playing out with grades this summer,” says the letter, signed by Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP for Harlow who chairs the committee.

The committee warned that grade inflation could go well beyond that seen last summer, when teacher assessments replaced a botched algorithm developed by Ofqual that relied on a school’s previous exam results to grade current students.

“With no standardisation whatsoever, there is an even greater risk that, come results day, there will be an excessive hike in higher grades and potential for real inconsistencies … in the way that students have been graded by their schools and colleges,” the letter said.

Halfon said “there are no easy answers” to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “However, the DfE and Ofqual should consider some kind of standardised assessment and a more robust way of validating teacher-assessed grades,” he said.

The committee demanded further details from the DfE and Ofqual to justify several of its decisions, including how schools are to measure the quantity of work required by students to pass their courses.

The MPs also told the DfE to show an “exit strategy” to eliminate grade inflation: “We now need to see your own route map clearly setting out how we will revert back to ‘normal’ grading standards and what the government is doing to ensure that employers do not penalise these cohorts in the job market.”

In response, a spokesperson for Ofqual said: “We expect teachers to use multiple sources of evidence to arrive at a grade, and to use their professional judgment. Schools and colleges will have their own internal quality assurance arrangements which the exam boards will check.”

Separately, Kevin Courtney, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said he was concerned the DfE was going to remove any guidance that secondary students should wear masks within schools.

Saying there were concerns that the government was going to remove or dilute any requirements when students returned after Easter, Courtney said: “We would want the masks to stay until the science says that it’s safe to remove them.

“The science is complicated, because you’re talking about the balance of how much transmission there is and how quickly the vaccination is rolled out.

“But we’re concerned that so far we’ve only had masks in classrooms for three weeks, in the vast majority of cases, before schools close for Easter.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×