University places held open for students contesting grades

STUDENTS who fail to achieve their predicted A-level grades will have their university places held open for them while they appeal, under plans to be outlined by the Government.

Pupils who are awarded unfair grades must have a “safety net” to ensure that their university plans are not ruined, the higher education minister has told vice-chancellors.

On Thursday some 730,000 students will receive grades that are largely based on statistical modelling as well as the rank order of their class drawn up by teachers.

But following chaos in Scotland where close to 125,000 students’ grades were downgraded from their teacher predictions, there are fears of similar problems this Thursday.

It raises the prospect of students los- ing out on university places if they are given incorrect grades.

Even if they are later awarded the correct mark on appeal, they may still lose out on their first choice institution if the place has been reallocated by the time they get the result of their challenge.

Now, in a letter to vice-chancellors, Michelle Donelan said universities should set aside space on undergraduate courses for teenagers who have missed their offers and are appealing against their grades.

“We expect the vast majority of grades to be accurate, but it is essential that we have this safety net for young people who may otherwise be held back from moving on to their chosen route,” she said.

“Where you are aware that a student’s grade may change as the result of an appeal, I would encourage you, where possible, to hold their place until they receive the result of that appeal.”

It is the first time that the Government has intervened in the row over grading this summer, as ministers attempt to see off a repeat of the furore around results day in Scotland.

The Government has imposed student number controls on universities this year in an attempt to prevent institutions from aggressively poaching students from their rivals to stay afloat.

Universities predict that overseas

students – who pay higher tuition fees – will stay away this year due to coronavirus, leaving a number of empty spaces as well as a financial black hole.

But Ms Donelan told vice-chancellors that any students who are given places following a successful appeal will not count towards their institution’s limited number of places. This means universities will be able to fill all their allotted places with students who have met their offers and then take on more who have been marked up.

Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister and her deputy John Swinney, the education minister, spent much of last week defending the system after close to 125,000 results were downgraded from their teachers’ predictions.

Data from the Scottish regulator showed that pass rates for pupils in the most deprived areas were reduced by 15.2 per cent, compared with just 6.9 per cent for pupils from the most affluent backgrounds.

But yesterday, Ms Sturgeon was forced to apologise to students. Ahead of a Scottish Government climb down on grades today Ms Sturgeon said last night: “Despite our best intentions, I do acknowledge we did not get this right and I’m sorry for that.” Mr Swinney, who faces a vote of no confidence over the fiasco, is to address the Scottish Parliament today where he will set out plans to overhaul the grading system.

In a sign that Downing Street are not planning on a similar about-turn, Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, last night defended this year’s controversial A-level and GCSE grading system. He acknowledged that without exams, “even the best system is not perfect”, but insisted that the algorithm being used to predict students’ grades is “fundamentally a fair one”.

There are rising concerns that the English exam regulator’s statistical model – which takes into account pupils’ past performance as well as their school’s historic grades – will punish children from poor communities.

Earlier this week, Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner, warned it will be a “complete disaster” if disadvantaged pupils fare worse this year. She said there is a “real worry” that children from the most deprived backgrounds will “miss out” on the grades they deserve after exams were axed.

Ofqual said its early analysis shows that students from all backgrounds have not been disadvantaged by this year’s grading process.