The advice regulator claims Education Secretary ignored

Abandoning exams Roger Taylor, Ofqual’s chairman, said he advised the Education Secretary on March 18 that the best option would be to keep exams and operate them in a socially distant manner, or to postpone. He said abandoning exams would be the “worst-case scenario”. But two days later, Gavin Williamson announced that exams would be cancelled. Appeals Mr Taylor said he told the Education Secretary that allowing mock exam grades to be used as a basis for an appeal was an “extremely risky” policy and that Ofqual did not believe it would result in students being handed “valid and trustworthy grades”. But Mr Williamson pressed ahead, announcing it on August 11. The algorithm Mr Taylor said that “from the outset” Ofqual had said it would be difficult to come up with a system to calculate grades which would “command public support”.

He said the decision to press ahead was essentially a “political” one. Private schools Mr Taylor said Ofqual knew from the start the calculated grades system would favour private school students, since they were more likely to have smaller class sizes meaning that teachers’ predictions would be used from the outset. Julie Swan, executive director for general qualifications, said Ofqual briefed Number 10 about this in August, ahead of results day. Outlier students Ms Swan said Ofqual was “alert” to risks posed to “outliers” – very bright pupils in poor performing schools – as they were more likely to have results unfairly downgraded. Again, Ofqual said it told Downing Street officials about this in August. Improving schools Another issue which Ofqual said it warned the Government about was that of schools which had rapidly improved, and past results did not reflect the abilities of current pupils.