Plymouth teachers "devastated" as court rejects bid to overturn GCSE grades
HEADTEACHERS have been left "disappointed" and staff are "devastated" following the High Court declining to overturn GCSE English exam results.
The High Court has not accepted a bid from school leaders, teachers' unions and local authorities, including Plymouth City Council, to change grade boundaries in last summer's GCSE English exams.
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Plymouth teachers "devastated" as court rejects bid to overturn GCSE grades
David Farmer, chair of Plymouth Learning Trust and headteacher of Plymstock School, said: "It's really disappointing. Teachers are devastated over the news. Students didn't get the grades they deserve and that will affect their futures."
Plymouth City Council joined a number of local authorities challenging the examinations regulator Ofqual and two GCSE English examination providers Edexcel and AQA over the June 2012 GCSE English results.
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The unprecedented legal action was submitted in October last year brought by an alliance of pupils, schools, councils and professional bodies led by Lewisham Council.
The challenge aimed for students' papers to be re-graded because the boundary for a grade C in GCSE English was raised between January and June this year.
This meant that the exam became much harder to pass for students who took it in June.
Councillor Nicky Williams, cabinet member for children and young people, said: "It was absolutely right that we were part of this legal battle, if only to show young people that it's important to stand up for what you believe in.
"Lord Justice Elias acknowledged that we were right to raise the judicial review.
"Our legal challenge was thorough and sought to demonstrate that the exam boards' decision to change the grade boundaries was the cause of the significant impact this had on thousands of young people's exam results.
"I'm extremely sad that young people in Plymouth won't now receive the grades they earned prior to the change of the grade boundary."
Steve Baker, Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) branch secretary and principal of Lipson Community College, added: "No one will be held to account.
"Whilst accepting that many students were graded unfairly due to inconsistencies of treatment, Ofqual won on the grounds that grades need to be comparable year on year.
"This is a lengthy judgement running to some 70 pages. We can only hope that lessons have been learned by the Department For Education.
"Young people cannot and should not have their futures compromised by political expediency.
"Only then can we be confident in the Judge's optimism that the steps currently being undertaken will not lead to another fiasco."
4 Comments
by CharlieDodd
Thursday, February 14 2013, 10:26PM
“An exam question can either be answered by the pupil or it can't, so why the confusion? I remember one maths question we had at school was "how many sides has a cube?" and I put "4". I answered most of the other questions wrong too and failed miserably (sniffle)”
by BorisNapper
Thursday, February 14 2013, 10:06PM
“Good result! Our education system is the laughing stock of the world - Little Chardonnay & Kyle proudly announcing their A* grades in Social studies and cross-stitching. Schools have for far too long been led by league tables, in order to secure a strong position they sell themselves out to the easiest known exam company.
No doubt the teachers are "gutted" - it has just been legally acknowledged that they are effectively gash at their jobs! I'm not blaming the teachers exactly - they have been driven by political dogma but - the teaching profession is a socialist empire in itself and it has come unstuck and been legally acknowledged as so.
Why do you think the NUT was so opposed to ex-servicemen being placed into the profession?
"Gary" - the 3 day stubbled social studies tutor, who gets verbally raped on a daily basis by his students due to his "understanding their needs" would have been significantly upstaged by "Dave" the ex-rsm who commanded respect, instilled pride and actually got decent results.
As for the heads - they are just the same as ACPO - politically motivated and totally target driven. The whole system needs bleaching. Bring back the ******s in leather elbow pads and wellgroomed moustaches I say!
Of course - this comment will upset some people. They'll think again though when their kid who has just got A* finds that the Pole working next to him has to do simple maths for him.”
by timplymouth
Thursday, February 14 2013, 7:07PM
“That's the job of the exam regulator, to make sure the standards are maintained.”
by Michael-T
Thursday, February 14 2013, 6:31PM
“What a shame - especially after all the work teachers at some schools in the Plymouth area put into completing pupils course work for them. Yes, it does happen - in various subjects - with pressure from senior managment to enable schools to meet targets.”