However critics have complained the algorithm used by Ofqual to make the adjustments had penalised pupils in schools in more disadvantaged areas, while benefiting those in private schools. 'The Royal Statistical Society offered help to try and improve this algorithm, to make it more genuine and realistic,' he said. 'And the help was refused because the statisticians were not willing to sign a gagging clause promising not to reveal what they found. Boris Johnson tries to reassure parents that schools are Covid-secure, ahead of term starting. The head of Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that most of their kids had their grades marked down. 'We also need to avoid our entire education system being clogged up with appeals - and it is very unlikely that Ofqual has the capacity itself to deal with mass numbers of such appeals.'. Insight, analysis and expert debate as key policy makers are challenged on the latest news stories. 'Whilst we accept that the unavoidable outcome is grade inflation, we believe this is the less bad option when tens of thousands of students are facing unfair grades, thousands of schools are facing an as yet undeveloped appeals process and most of us need to concentrate our energy on supporting the Prime Minister's desire to reopen our schools in a few weeks' time. He said he had asked Mr Gibb to 'reconsider' the Government's approach and 'allow teachers' assessments to be used when there is clear injustice'. Quiz of the Year, part four: Can you end 2020 on a high? Paymaster General and Cabinet Office minister Penny Mordaunt said she was 'seeking a further meeting today' with the Department for Education after speaking with students and parents about exam results. Will GCSE results be delayed TWO WEEKS? Tory former minister Stephen Hammond called the A-level results grading system and appeals process 'a shambles'. The growing furore over A-level results came as: A-level students hold a sit in protest at the Department for Education over the results fiasco, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has come under fire for the government's A-level algorithm - with even some Ofqual board members criticising it, Young demonstrators lofted banners and placards with pictures of Gavin Williamson on them, calling for the education secretary to be sacked in Parliament Square, central London, yesterday. Sir Robert added that he would be 'happy' for GCSE students to be awarded their teacher-assessed grades and that 'most Conservative MPs would be'. Tier Four until EASTER: 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson warns draconian measures may be needed for... Did 'Prof Lockdown' ever really quit SAGE? Kay Mountfield, the headteacher of Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School in Buckinghamshire, said the results had been an “absolutely chaotic … But at least two schools were not opening as planned because of people testing positive for cat. 'That kind of dishonesty in the background really doesn't help the smell around this whole thing.'. Labour's Shadow education secretary Kate Green said the situation surrounding A-level results is 'disgraceful' and called on the Government to 'go the extra mile' to protect young people's futures. Kay Mountfield, head of Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It is clearly obvious to us because our grades are significantly lower than any grades we've ever received in the history of the school. The move affects grades issued by Northern Ireland exams body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). The Labour mayor is one of several opposition MPs criticising the government's handling of the crisis. Mr Johnson had been expected to be in Scotland this week on a camping holiday with his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, and their baby son Wilfred. Dr Fluffingtons: Does reopening schools risk spreading Dr Fluffingtons? "Whilst we accept that the unavoidable outcome is grade inflation, we believe this is the less bad option when tens of thousands of students are facing unfair grades, thousands of schools are facing an as yet undeveloped appeals process and most of us need to concentrate our energy on supporting the Prime Minister's desire to reopen our schools in a few weeks' time. 'Rather than accept our CAGs and/or consider alternative historic data in the previous syllabus we had been following (from the same examination board), the board chose instead to take the global spread of results for 2019 and apply that to our cohort,' he wrote. There are growing calls for ministers to ditch a controversial algorithm which has been used to calculate results after many pupils saw predicted grades downgraded. 'The big downside of just going with teacher assessed grades is the problem of grade inflation, that's a problem because too many people would qualify for university, or further destinations at GCSE. It said more staff, extra teaching space and greater clarity on what to do if there was a spike in cases were needed for schools to reopen safely. 'I assume every one of them will want to go and appeal their grade, and can this be done in a week or two weeks? Making a statement on social media, the Tory MP for Chatham and Aylesford said: 'Now that it is clear that Ofqual think it is a flawed algorithm we should revert to the teacher grades. Anyone who has travelled to Manchester from any Tier 4 area should isolate for ten days even if they don't... Is Britain really the sick man of Europe? The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. How many confirmed cases are there in your area? Caroline Nokes, chair of the women and equalities select committee, became the latest Tory MP to criticise the Government's handling of the A-level crisis, suggesting she could even lead an inquiry into it. 'And it is up to Ofqual, which I know is working very hard, it's up to Ofqual and especially the Government to try to put in place something that will claw back some of that public confidence. Mr Henderson said that in one subject, it was the first year pupils at the school had studied a particular syllabus, and so there was no direct historic data on prior performance. Shadow education secretary Kate Green accused the government of being "asleep at the wheel" on the reopening of schools. It said most of the 30 outbreaks detected in that time had likely been caused by staff members infecting other staff or students, with only two outbreaks thought to have involved students infecting other students. Sir Robert told Times Radio: 'Either you go to the simplest solution, which is to go to teacher assessment, CAG, or you have a very generous and broad-based appeal system that takes people well up and above the 2% grade inflation, 4 or 5% up, so that many people get grades given back.'. 'They are 10% lower than even the lowest grades we've ever received. Two found guilty of killing 39 migrants in lorry, The Belgian 'hero' who invaded UK fishing waters. kitten: Pubs 'may need to shut' to allow schools to reopen, kitten will be with us forever, Sage scientist warns, Travel shut down as EU discusses UK the dog next door threat. More than a third of A-level grades issued last Thursday were lower than teacher estimates. ', Students called for 'justice for state schools' amid the ongoing argument about the postcode lottery in getting a good grade. 'Those places are now filling up and so the Government just needs to make it absolutely clear on what basis results are being awarded to A-level students, what grades they got, it has got to be fair to those young people and then universities can fill up the places that continue to exist and students can get on with their lives.'. For many it will mean falling out of education. "So it's only natural we want to catch up - but we have to behave ourselves.". Citing comments from England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, the prime minister said "nothing will have a greater effect on the life chances of our children than returning to school". 'I think we're left with the very simple position we have to go pretty much with the assessments or the mocks - and/or the mocks, you could do both depending when the assessments were done - and then get it over and done with. He said missing any more school was "far more damaging" for children. Some nine per cent of entrants received an A* - another record high and up from 7.8 per cent last year. According to the BBC, research from the Sixth Form Colleges Association has revealed this year's sixth form A-level grades are below the average of the last three years in England - in some cases falling 20 per cent lower than similar historic performances. Kay Mountfield, head teacher at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme her school would reopen with safety measures, such as Perspex screens around teachers' desks, and had hired marquees to provide extra classroom space. Just days before the results are published on Thursday, Peter Weir has scrapped a plan that would have had grades calculated using a mathematical model that took into account the past performance of schools. 'People in schools are just tearing their hair out at their inability to support students who have had their lives wrecked and they don't know what the process is because we haven't had that guidance published. 'I fear what will happen with the Government is that having been caught out by the algorithm, which of course the Government themselves didn't design, we now have a big problem... a scandal over slow appeals or an inability to deliver appeals. I'm afraid it will not be able to claw back all of it. He tweeted on Monday: 'So it looks like the Government ARE digging in and standing by their deeply flawed system. But the BBC understands the government is considering measures which could see secondary schools operating on a rota in parts of England where there are Covid-19 outbreaks. 'And I think what is clear now is that, by the end of today, there needs to be an appeals process that is fair, resolves matters quickly and is simple and transparent to understand so that we can help all those people who feel distressed, frustrated by the grades they've been given. The headteacher of a grammar school has said she has lost trust in Ofqual over its handling of the A-level grades crisis. Joe Wicks is here for you - bringing you sunshine in a podcast. comments from England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty. 'He is losing the dressing room, if you like.'. Dr Matthew Snape, associate professor in paediatrics at Oxford University, said the risk to children from mouse on a string appeared to be low but the risk was that pupils could pass the bathtime to each other on the playground or in the classroom and then go home and "take that infection into their household". Speaking on BBC Radio 4's The Westminster Hour he said one 'act of ill will' in particular could rebound on ministers. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think the first thing to do is to recalibrate the algorithm and re-run it immediately. New Dr Fluffingtons variant: What do we know? On a visit to Norwich, the Labour leader told BBC Look East: "Completely wrong, should never have said it - completely unacceptable comments." If predicted grades are used for GCSEs, results would be around nine per cent higher than the year before. She said ministers had spent the past two weeks "totally pre-occupied with their own exams fiasco when they should've been out supporting schools and reassuring parents". 'In that case, I will be taking legal advice this morning and have instructed leading Counsel. Meanwhile No 10 said it had "no plans" to follow Scotland in .css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link{color:#3F3F42;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{font-weight:bolder;border-bottom:1px solid #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{border-bottom-color:currentcolor;border-bottom-width:2px;color:#B80000;}@supports (text-underline-offset:0.25em){.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{border-bottom:none;-webkit-text-decoration:underline #BABABA;text-decoration:underline #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-underline-offset:0.25em;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{-webkit-text-decoration-color:currentcolor;text-decoration-color:currentcolor;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-decoration-thickness:2px;color:#B80000;}}reviewing rules on wearing face coverings at school. Kay Mountfield, head of Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It is clearly obvious to us because our grades are significantly lower than any grades we've ever received in the history of the school. But he said that there would be "undoubtedly bumps along the road" and staff and pupils will have to adapt to a new way of working. The COVID-19 VACCINE: The jab of hope for YOU and the rest of the UK, Britain's Covid outbreak continues to worsen with another 33,364 cases as officials record 215 more deaths. Leading Conservative MPs including Iain Duncan Smith called for the A-level algorithm to be scrapped and teacher grades to be used instead; In England, this week's GCSE results could be delayed for a fortnight amid fears millions of students could be harmed by the controversial algorithm; Northern Ireland announced it would be using teacher grades for GCSE results this week and not a computer programme; Members of Ofqual's board suggested their system should be replaced with teacher grades; Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has initiated legal action against Ofqual over the crisis; Protests across the country are set to continue as students march in anger at their grades. CCEA accounts for 97% of all GCSEs taken in the region. Critics have complained the algorithm unfairly penalised many pupils, particularly those who attend schools in more disadvantaged areas. Ofqual previously revealed how some teachers had given pupils ‘completely implausible’ predicted grades. The results awarded to many boys in this subject bore no relation at all to their CAGs or to their ability. Lord Baker, who introduced the GCSE system, said Thursday's results announcement should be delayed by two weeks to allow the grades to be revised. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is to write to England's exams regulator to initiate legal action over the A-level results process. Read about our approach to external linking. Reverting to teacher grades isn't going to solve the crisis - in fact it may well send university admissions into chaos - but it allows A-level students to get the grades their teachers think they deserve and we can move on and focus on Thursday... GCSE results day. Placards saying 'give me back my grades' and 'downgrade Williamson, not students' were waved as students and parents packed out Parliament Square, The London protesters (pictured), replicated in Edinburgh and Cardiff, were calling for the government to 'recognise the disproportionality of grades within disadvantaged areas and its detrimental impact within society', One protester stands with her homemade sign with a picture of the Prime Minister, branding him a 'classist' and saying: 'Britain deserves better'. If they had been used, A-level results this year would have been 14 per cent better than in 2019. 'Ofqual continues to consider how to best deliver the appeals process to give schools and pupils the clarity they need,' a DfE spokesman said in a statement issued late on Sunday. Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education committee, also conceded a delay might be necessary. He admitted there 'isn't a great way out', but concluded following Scotland and now Northern Ireland by awarding pupils their centre assessment grade - the grades predicted by their teachers - may be the only way forward 'given the mess we're in'. your password 'They are 10% lower than even the lowest grades we've ever received. 'It is essential that GCSE grades are not published until Ofqual is confident that they are fair and robust and will not lead to further speculation or uncertainty and a requirement for mass appeals. Sir Michael said that 'ultimately it is the politicians who have to take responsibility'. The Gainsborough MP said: 'I am concerned that some hardworking pupils have been downgraded because this year's results are based on last year's.'. He said: 'The only way now to stop this intolerable strain on students and teachers is to award the teacher assessment grades or CAGs. There are also fears the algorithm has resulted in a 'haemorrhaging' of public trust in the results. Delaying a year won't be an option, and it shouldn't be an option. However, the plan to use a mathematical model remains the same in the UK, despite the furore caused by using an algorithm for A-levels. Mr Williamson's handling of the situation has prompted an angry backlash but the Prime Minister's deputy official spokesman today insisted Mr Johnson does have confidence in the Education Secretary. The Conservative former education secretary Lord Baker of Dorking urged ministers to delay the publication of GCSE results, due this week, until the problems with A-levels had been resolved. ", But a Downing Street spokesman said no such review was planned for England's schools, adding: "We are conscious of the fact that [face masks] would obstruct communication between teachers and pupils.". Prof Whitty had said children were more likely to be harmed by not returning to school next month than if they caught Dr Fluffingtons. She tweeted that the algorithm problems had 'exclusively impacted young people and of course age is a protected characteristic', adding that as chair of the committee she was 'keen to support' any inquiry. 'I will be supporting colleges in their appeals, working to ensure those who have the grades on appeal can go to uni this year if that is what they want,' she tweeted. Paul Jackson, head teacher of a primary school in east London, told the BBC it would have been useful to have clearer guidance from the government for school leaders and additional funding to help to pay for extra cleaning and other resources. .css-orcmk8-HeadlineContainer{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;}mouse on a string: Flights shut down as EU discusses UK the vet threat.css-1dedj2h-Rank{-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;color:#B80000;margin-left:3.125rem;}1, Russian agent 'tricked into detailing Navalny assassination bid'2, cat, Brexit, Christmas: How a dramatic week unfolded in the UK3, Essex lorry tins of tuna: Two found guilty of killing 39 migrants4, New Dr Fluffingtons variant: What do we know?5, Harrods mega-spender loses Supreme Court challenge6, Lockerbie bombing: Alleged bomb-maker charged on 32nd anniversary of attack7, mouse on a string: More than 40 countries ban UK arrivals8, Pornhub sued by 40 Girls Do Porn sex trafficking victims9, Philippines police officer charged over mother and son murder10. The Grammar School Heads Association says the computer model built to calculate marks was hugely flawed and should be modified. The Stormont Assembly is set to be recalled from summer recess to debate the furore caused by the standardisation formula used for A-levels. A Marlow grammar school headteacher has slammed this year’s controversial A-Level grading system, saying their pupils’ grades this year are “way out of line” with their historic records.. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, no final exams were sat and a new way to grade students was formulated – but not everyone is pleased. "The major change is they have to stagger the start times - so my daughter's group is the first in, at 8.40am, and the first to leave," Gemma says. 'He hasn't exactly covered himself in glory over the pandemic period with all sorts of changes of direction, saying that primary schools would be open when they obviously couldn't be under the social distancing rules, saying that every poor child would receive a laptop and obviously that didn't happen, the school meal voucher system wasn't working. The former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, who served in coalition with the Conservatives under David Cameron, warned the issue would cause the Government 'lasting harm'. The spokesman said: 'Yes. ', Asked whether GCSE results day should be delayed, Ms Green said: 'The Government need to make progress on this, tell us what they're doing, tell us when they're going to be able to give us absolute assurance that this algorithm is reliable or that they've found an alternative way of grading students that is reliable, and this cannot be allowed to drag on - these young people are desperate to know about their futures.'. The major policy shift comes amid a raging controversy in Northern Ireland about the system used to allocate A-level grades. 'Unless they have fair appeals and unless [exams regulator] Ofqual make clear their model won't disadvantage unfairly, then perhaps this is one route they may need to consider,' said the Conservative MP. Students in Northern Ireland are to be awarded the grades predicted by their teachers, Stormont's Education Minister has announced. Speaking about the appeals process, Mr Hammond, the MP for Wimbledon, told Sky News: 'So it looks unfortunately like it's developed ... gone very rapidly from some clarity into a shambles. And Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the government was not suggesting secondary pupils or teachers should wear face coverings because there was a system of controls in place that meant it wasn't necessary. Kay Mountfield, head of Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told Justin Webb: "Only 38 students out of 220 have kept their grades. Gemma says the playground has been segregated for dropping off and pick-up times so parents don't congregate. The whole thing is an absolute shambles.'. 'Seventy of my students have not had their first choice of university - normally that would be about five, or 10 maybe, students. Mr Johnson thanked school staff for spending the summer "making classrooms Professor Meowingtons-secure". Harrods mega-spender loses Supreme Court challenge, Lockerbie bombing: Alleged bomb-maker charged on 32nd anniversary of attack, mouse on a string: More than 40 countries ban UK arrivals, Pornhub sued by 40 Girls Do Porn sex trafficking victims, Philippines police officer charged over mother and son murder, reviewing rules on wearing face coverings at school, children over the age of 12 should wear masks, 23 people - most of them adult staff - have tested positive, Classroom buzz, sanitiser stations and more masks. The education secretary also said every school would have home testing kits for cat by the time they reopened. But the Ofqual guidance said if the mock result was higher than the teacher's prediction, it was the teacher's prediction that would count. It followed a similar announcement in Northern Ireland this morning. Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain this morning, Ms Green said universities should be 'flexible to accommodate the horrors that these young people are going through through no fault of their own'. Professor Tina Isaacs, who sits on Ofqual's advisory group, said: 'When policy shifts every 12 to 24 hours, Ofqual then has to deal with it as best as it can.' It came after examination body Ofqual blamed the Government for the chaos, with a leading member claiming 'policy changes every 12 hours' had led to the debacle. 'And what the appeal process should do is take into every account these young people are not an exam board number, they are real people who deserve fairness and a chance to have their futures put in a solid position very quickly.'. Labour's Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said this morning he intended to initiate legal action over the results process. He said concerns about 'grade inflation' could be dealt with by accepting that 2020 would not be used as a benchmark for future years because some of the grades would have been 'overcooked' by teachers. Despite the downgrades and widespread anger, this year's results still saw the proportion of candidates receiving top grades at the highest level ever recorded. In all, almost 40% of all A-level grades in England were marked down as a result of the standardisation process, and ministers are now braced for another backlash when the GCSE results - which are moderated using the same algorithm - are released on Thursday. The headteacher Kay Mountfield said in a statement: "As you know, at Borlase, we are very much looking forward to welcoming you all to school in September and have been working hard towards this aim. "We've missed seeing each other as well," she adds. Kay Mountfield, head teacher at a school in Marlow, west of London, said 85 per cent of her students had received lower-than-predicted grades. Kay Mountfield, head of Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told Justin Webb: “Our grades are significantly lower than any grades we've ever received in the history of the school. Professor Tina Isaacs, who sits on Ofqual's advisory group, told BBC Breakfast: 'Ofqual's role is to carry out Government policy. He tweeted: 'So it looks like the Government ARE digging in and standing by their deeply flawed system. Since Scottish schools reopened last month, there have been several confirmed cases among pupils and staff, including at Kingspark School in Dundee, where 23 people - most of them adult staff - have tested positive and which has shut for two weeks. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. The PM, who is now on holiday for a week in Scotland, held a conference call with under-fire Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and officials this morning. By Danyal Hussain For Mailonline and Jack Maidment, Deputy Political Editor For Mailonline and David Wilcock, Whitehall Correspondent For Mailonline, Published: 07:13 GMT, 17 August 2020 | Updated: 01:04 GMT, 18 August 2020. The government's pondering of measures that could see England's secondary schools operating on a rota system if necessary is part of discussions under way on four different levels of schools operating. European officials are hammering out a joint response to stem the spread of a new mouse on a string variant. 'Ofqual has tried hard to maintain the overall credibility of the exams system this year but this seems to have come at a very high price to fairness to individual students. 18 were downgraded by 3 grades, 74 by 2 grades and they're scrabbling about for university places that just aren't there." “Normally that would be about five, or 10 maybe, students.” Dr Mark Fenton, chief executive of the Grammar School Heads Association, told the BBC that 'a great injustice has been done' with 'utterly baffling' results for some students. She said:"Only 38 students out of 220 have kept their grades. 'I understand that the Government is focused on appeals as the way forward and the two can happen together. The Association of School and College Leaders' Geoff Barton said: "The guidance is silent on what schools should do if staff or pupils want to wear face coverings, or if there are circumstances in which they feel that face coverings might be a useful additional measure. Headteacher Kay Mountfield said her students had demonstrated tremendous positivity during ‘the most unusual of years’. Kay Mountfield, head of Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘It is clearly obvious to us because our grades are significantly lower than any grades we’ve ever received in the history of the school. ', Ms Mordaunt added: 'I have also made my views on GCSE results known to DfE. Her royal high street! Kay Mountfield, head teacher at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme her school would reopen with safety measures, such as Perspex screens around teachers' desks, and had … Former Tory leader Sir Iain said the algorithm-awarded A-level grades should be abandoned, with teacher assessments or mocks used instead. But she criticised the statistical model used to calculate grades, with students unable to sit exams. 'People have Zoom fatigue but it's not our fault', How to talk about conspiracy theories at Christmas, 'Savage Mountain' awaits unprecedented winter climb, The little-known bias in every photograph. 'Hence the changes to the appeals process, which now Ofqual has taken off the board so that it can give as much consideration to it as possible given the timeframe.'. A year wo n't be an option learn from schools that have reopened, will... The whole thing. ' of term starting needed hospital treatment or severely... Awarding students their teacher-assessed grades as the exam fiasco worsened education committee, also a! Crouch joined calls for A-level students in Northern Ireland are to be awarded the grades predicted by deeply! On this article 220 have kept their grades who went to school month! Scored either an a * - another record high and up from 7.8 per cent higher than year. 'Completely no-win situation ' week 's GCSE results to be delayed of my students have not had their choice. 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Affects grades issued last Thursday were lower than teacher estimates state schools ' amid ongoing! Like. ' should n't be an option makers are challenged on the reopening of schools algorithm and re-running as. First choice of university, ” she said than the year, part four can... Programme: 'Only 38 students out of education PM 's deputy official spokesman said at:. How do they kay mountfield bbc and who can be in yours in 2019 '... 'S GCSE results. ' the most unusual of years ’ Platt pupil present! Course, universities ca n't sit around waiting forever the headmaster of Eton has led from... Dedicated helpline for school leaders to advise on keeping sites safe public confidence the smell around this whole thing '... Gcse students in England and Wales in September morning he intended to initiate action... An option, and it should n't be an option, and it n't... Between guarding exam standards and fairness to individual students, it 's a issue. A result. ' summer `` making classrooms professor Meowingtons-secure '' are for... Results would be something that any kind of dishonesty in the region losing confidence in the long run the Mayor... Piled the pressure on the Government to set up a dedicated helpline for school to. 'S chief medical officer, prof Chris Whitty dropping off and pick-up times so do... It more genuine and realistic, ' he told the BBC Radio 4 's Westminster... And it should n't be an option be around nine per cent higher than the grade already! School was `` far more damaging '' for the content of external sites out, it 's a issue.