Students failed BTEC exams they thought they had passed

SCORES of West Midlands students who were told they had passed vital BTEC exams have actually failed after a last minute change in grade boundaries.

Thousands more will discover today they have lower grades than they have already been told they have earned.

The move has been branded “unethical” and “disgraceful” by Birmingham teachers who say they will challenge the action by examining organisation Pearson Education – but must first share the news with anxious students on results day.

Those affected are all students who took a Level 2 BTEC Tech Award in a range of subjects, including health and social care, performing arts, creative media production, engineering and enterprise. A pass is the equivalent of a GCSE level 4 or 5.

The qualification is vital to move

onto the next level of towards their dream jobs.

Birmingham teacher Salma Najib, had supported around 100 pupils at her secondary school in Yardley to prepare for their BTEC Tech Awards Level 2 in health and social care.

She received a letter, dated August 16, which said that “necessary changes” had been made to this year’s grade points table for BTEC Tech Award qualifications.

A copy of the letter, seen by the Post, reveals the points required to achieve a Pass at Level 2 had now risen from 69 to 72; for a Merit from 82 to 95; a Distinction now requires 105, up from 95; while a Distinction star, the highest grade, now needed 114 points instead of 108.

But students had already been told their grades, based on the lower points scores, after the results were released in April.

Ms Najib, who has taught BTEC exams for 14 years, said she had never known anything like it.

education

“I cannot believe the exam board would do this to pupils,” she said.

“They have had their results since April, and have made college applications and so on, based on that result.

“I feel ashamed to have to share this news with pupils. We have celebrated their results, and as a school we have been really positive about this new qualification. To learn now that the boundaries have changed at the 11th hour is disgraceful.”

She said she estimated that 12 students in her cohort of 100 who had been told they had passed might now have failed. Around 15 who had received the highest grade of a D* (Distinction Star) would also learn they had received lower grades.

“It is shocking and I hope they do something about it, or we will have a lot of distressed students on Thursday.”

She added that colleagues at other schools around the city had already been in touch to see what they could do collectively to support pupils.

“These awards are taken by thousands of pupils in Birmingham and tens of thousands across the country. The impact on some children could be huge.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the union would be protesting the changes and was seeking urgent talks with the exam board, Ofqual and the Department of Education over the changes.

He said: “It is our view that the original grade boundaries should be honoured for this year.”

To learn now that the boundaries have changed at the 11th hour is disgraceful

Teacher