The exam furore is damaging pupils’ confidence in their achievements

sir – As a former headmaster and current vice chancellor, I am becoming increasingly alarmed by how young people’s achievements, in their A-level results last week and GCSE results this week, are being questioned.

The longer the political furore continues, and the longer the validity of centre assessment grades is disputed, the less the young will believe in the value of their results.

I know from my own experience how much self-confidence is gained through achieving good grades in exams. We are in danger of producing a cohort of young people who lack that confidence.

Sir Anthony Seldon

Vice Chancellor University of Buckingham

sir – Because of the change in the way GCSES were awarded, pupils have received higher grades than normal, as teachers have a natural tendency to overestimate their students’ standards.

And this in a year when you would have expected to see lower grades because much less teaching has been done.

Professor Arthur Morris

Helensburgh, Argyll

sir – I congratulate every student who received results yesterday.

We now need to halt the language of “inflation”, which suggests that teachers sat around blowing hot air into balloons, making up grades on a whim. No. Centres approached the process with gravity. We weighed up all the data, as well as our detailed knowledge of students.

Our expertise and integrity, and their hard work, must not be undermined.

Sarah Raffray

Head teacher, St Augustine’s Priory London W5

sir – In the days of assessment by examinations alone, I achieved by a number of flukes A-level results just sufficient to obtain a university place. For me, this was the wrong path, and led to unfortunate consequences. I was lucky: I eventually arrived at the right destination, but it might not have ended so well.

Inflated grades, whatever the reason for them, are not necessarily in students’ best interests.

John Smallwood

West Auckland, Co Durham

sir – Let us spare a thought for those pupils who, if they’d been able to sit their exams, would have got higher grades than their teachers had predicted.

Every year there are a few who have been underrated and unsung by their teachers – the shy, quiet ones who don’t believe in themselves. Many of them have a shining moment of self-realisation in August, when they open that envelope.

This year, those students have not had the chance to experience that moment. I hope it dawns on them not too much later in life.

Annabel Partridge

Farringdon, Hampshire