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Head in GCSE marking row
Pictured at Sherburn High School is headteacher Martyn Sibley with pupils Jack Thirkill (12), Adam Gander (15), Jake Hardman (13), Lucy Clark (12), Emma Kennedy (13), and Hannah Davis (15). Picture: Tony Saxton L4485TS
A DISTRICT headteacher has joined in the rising clamour over the grading of this year’s GCSE English exam paper.
Martin Sibley, headteacher at Sherburn High School, is concerned that students at the school may have been marked down – a situation he has described as ‘wrong, unjustified and unfair to our students.’
Exams regulator Ofqual has said it will look again at GCSE gradings amid claims that thousands of students across the UK have been treated unfairly. It has admitted there are ‘questions about how grade boundaries were set in a very small number of units across the year’.
Mr Sibley said: “Parents and students may have been following the significant press coverage over the last few days regarding the marking of GCSE English examinations this summer.
“Following detailed analysis of the Sherburn High School English results it has become clear that students may indeed have been disadvantaged by the AQA examining board’s decision to change grade boundaries between the January and June examination sessions.
“This, I believe, has resulted in a large number of students receiving D grades rather than the C grades which were expected. There may also be an impact on other grades awarded.
“My view is that this situation is wrong, unjustified and unfair to our students.
“As a consequence I am taking up this issue, as a matter of urgency, with the examination board and Ofqual. I have also provided Sherburn High data for the national survey of examination outcomes being conducted by the Association of School and College Leaders as a prelude to possible legal action by them.”
Ofqual chief regulator Glenys Stacey has said: “We recognise the continuing concerns among students, parents and teachers about this year’s GCSE English results.
“We will look closely at how the results were arrived at.
“We will do this quickly, but thoroughly, so that we ensure confidence is maintained in our examinations system.”
The evidence is expected to be gathered this week and Ofqual will then meet awarding bodies to discuss its findings.
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Wednesday 19 June 2013
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