Marking differences may have cost thousands their GCSE English pass
Nearly 40,000 teenagers could be forced to resit GCSE English because of who marked their paper, according to an analysis by The Observer and education expert Dennis Sherwood. The report suggests that around 200,000 students opened their results earlier this week to find a grade 3, the equivalent of a D, and that as many as 39,000 of them may have achieved a passing grade 4 had their papers been marked by senior examiners.
The figure is based on research by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations (OFQUAL) showing the likelihood of senior and standard examiners marking the same English paper differently is around 39%. In maths, that figure is just 4%. Applied to this year's results, the analysis suggests between 32,000 and 45,000 teenagers may have seen a different mark in English, compared to 3,000 in maths.
Sherwood told The Observer: "The figure of 39,000 awarded grade 3 when they truly merited grade 4 is quite likely cautious, but is the best estimate on the information available. People need to know what grade they truly deserve and the appeals process should not block that."
The Observer's analysis was reported by both Birmingham Live and The Sun, which noted the potential impact on students' futures, as a grade 4 is the pass margin that spares many from resitting.
Appeals process: costly and narrow
The Sun reported that while papers can be remarked if there is a question of marking error, the marker must be found to have been "unreasonable" in their approach to qualify for a second opinion. Differing opinions between examiners are not sufficient grounds for a remark. The paper also noted that a GCSE English exam typically costs around £100 to review, with the fee waived if the grade rises but retained if it stays the same or goes down. Schools can incur costs of thousands of pounds in the appeals process.
Government response: overhauling the resit system
Education Secretary Lucy Powell has pledged to overhaul the system of GCSE resits for teenagers who do not pass English and maths. Powell said the current policy condemns young people to a "treadmill of failure" which can lead to a "debilitating loss of confidence". She described the policy as "a hamster wheel" and proposed bringing in a new level-one qualification aimed at those who got a grade 2 or worse in their first attempt, so students have a strong foundation in English and maths.
A Department for Education statement said: "We know that resitting exams repeatedly without improving grades can be demoralising, which is why we're taking action to break the endless cycle of resits. Our new 16-19 English and maths qualifications will properly prepare students before they take their GCSE – with changes to the accountability framework to support this and ensure students only sit an exam when they are ready to progress."
Ofqual defends grading system
An Ofqual spokesperson said: "Students in England can have complete confidence in their grades they have worked hard to achieve, which unlock opportunities for their futures."