Dozens of schools could face closure in fallout from GCSE grading row

  • 143 secondaries in danger of being labelled 'failing'

By SARAH HARRIS

Published: | Updated:


Under fire: There have been calls for Ofqual's chief regulator Glenys Stacey, pictured, to resign after the GSCE grading fiasco which could result in some schools closing

Under fire: There have been calls for Ofqual's chief regulator Glenys Stacey, pictured, to resign after the GSCE grading fiasco which could result in some schools closing

Dozens of schools face possible job losses and closures amid the GCSE grading row, it emerged yesterday.

At least 143 secondaries are set to fall below the Government’s floor targets after their results unexpectedly dipped this summer.

This puts them in danger of being labelled ‘failing’ and reopened as academies, with an overhaul of senior staff, according to the Association of School and College Leaders.

There could be ‘a significant risk to jobs, not only to the headteacher but other members of the leadership team’, an association spokesman said.

The revelation emerged on the day Ofqual’s chief regulator, Glenys Stacey, appeared before the Commons’ education select committee, amid calls for her to resign.

In a report to accompany her grilling by MPs, the watchdog attempted to deflect blame back on to teachers for not being cautious enough over pupils’ grade predictions.

Miss Stacey denied political interference in the scandal and accused exam board Edexcel of allowing grade inflation which had to be stamped out.

Leaked documents show that Ofqual intervened over Edexcel’s grade boundaries only two weeks before exam results were published.

Ofqual wrote to Edexcel on August 7 amid concerns that there would be a rise in C grades, calling on the board to act quickly to produce results that were closer to predictions for the subject.

Edexcel eventually adopted a mark of 65 as the minimum requirement for a C grade for one of the English units – ten marks higher than in January when it stood at 55.

Alex Cunningham, Labour MP for Stockton North, asked Miss Stacey why Edexcel had changed its mind. ‘Was it the fact that you adopted a strong-arm tactic to tell them, “You must ensure that these grades are downgraded”.’

Sitting GCSE exams: At least 143 secondaries are set to fall below the Government's floor targets after their results unexpectedly dipped this summer

Sitting GCSE exams: At least 143 secondaries are set to fall below the Government's floor targets after their results unexpectedly dipped this summer

Miss Stacey replied: ‘What changed was, that we knew, looking at that, that there would be a 6 or 7 per cent increase, grade inflation, that we did not think to be right or justifiable.

‘We therefore wrote to Edexcel pointing out that they needed to bring the qualification in appropriately. They reflected on that and it’s quite right and proper that they should have.’

When asked what Ofqual would have done if Edexcel had insisted its grade boundaries were fair, she said: ‘The legislation provides that the regulator can direct grade boundary changes.’

Overall, English GCSE results at grade C or better were down by 1.5 percentage points this year.

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