Nearly 40,000 pupils may be forced to resit GCSE English due to inconsistencies in how their papers were marked, according to analysis reported by The Observer. The findings suggest that many students who received a grade 3 – equivalent to a D – might have achieved a passing grade 4 if their work had been assessed by senior examiners.
Analysis reveals marking disparity
The Observer reported that around 200,000 students opened their results earlier this week to find a grade 3. Analysis by the Sunday paper and education expert Dennis Sherwood found that as many as 39,000 of these students could have achieved a passing grade 4, sparing them a resit, if their answers had been marked by senior examiners.
Research conducted by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations (OFQUAL) shows the likelihood of senior and standard examiners marking the same English paper differently is around 39%. This is a much larger margin compared to core subject maths, which sits at just 4%.
It means between 32,000 and 45,000 teenagers may have seen a different mark, compared to 3,000 in maths.
Expert calls for fair appeals process
Education expert Dennis 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.”
Government plans to overhaul resits
Lucy Powell has pledged to overhaul the system of GCSE resits for teenagers who do not pass English and maths for the first time. The Education Secretary said the current system condemns young people to a “treadmill of failure” which can lead to a “debilitating loss of confidence”.
Ms Powell, the education secretary under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, said the government would be sticking with plans for a new “stepping stone” qualification aimed at those who got a grade 2 or worse in their first attempt at GCSEs.
Powell described the current policy as “a hamster wheel” and said: “There’s got to be a better way to give young people the skills and confidence that they need to succeed, not just branding them a failure, and also allowing them to gain other qualifications that show they have a strong foundation in English and maths.
“So that’s why I want to bring in a new level-one qualification so they’ve got a strong foundation in English and maths that gives them that passport to go on for further study or an apprenticeship or a training place.”
Department for Education responds
The Department for Education 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 resit their GCSE – with changes to the accountability framework to support this and ensure students only sit an exam when they are ready to progress.
“We have also ensured that students will get at least 100 hours of teaching per subject, backed by extra funding and free teacher training, so they progress with a genuine chance of success.”
A spokesperson for Ofqual said: “Students in England can have complete confidence in their grades they have worked hard to achieve, which unlock opportunities for their futures.”
