Awarded grades system could damage prospects of disadvantaged
LONDON
ASSEMBLY
LABOUR
Press office: 020 7983 4952
News release
20.04.2020
For immediate use
Proposed awarded grades system could
damage the prospects of disadvantaged pupils
The Government’s proposed awarded grades system could have “unfair and unintended consequences” for students, Labour’s London Assembly Education Spokesperson, Jennette Arnold OBE AM, has warned. In a letter to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, Ms Arnold has urged the Government and exams regulator, Ofqual, to take the necessary steps to avoid the potential pitfalls of this new system, which could “disproportionately damage the prospects of disadvantaged pupils”.
Last month, in the wake of exams being scrapped due to the outbreak of Covid-19, the Government announced that GCSE and A-Level grades would instead be calculated by teachers and exam boards working in partnership to analyse a range of academic data, such as a student’s previous attainment from exam and non-exam settings.
However, in her letter, Ms Arnold argues that if administered without accounting for educational inequalities, this newly adopted awarded grades methodology could further disadvantage pupils from BAME and working-class backgrounds. She specifically warns that an over-reliance on predicted grades in determining final outcomes could unfairly punish these students, who according to both Government and academic studies, have their grades routinely underpredicted.
Ms Arnold also underlines that institutions outside of the mainstream education system, such as Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), struggle to accurately allocate predicted grades in the first place. She observes that inaccurately awarded grades could lead to vulnerable students, who might have been caught up in violent crime and gang exploitation, being put at further risk of social exclusion.
In addition, Ms Arnold raises concerns about plans to use the previous attainment levels of schools as a benchmark to calculate awarded grades. She argues that research conducted by Cambridge University, which reveals the scale of GCSE grade volatility between school years, renders this an unreliable factor in the decision-making process.
Labour’s London Assembly Education Spokesperson, Jennette Arnold OBE AM, said:
“In these extraordinary circumstances, it has been positive to see the Government take steps to ensure there are no delays to GCSE and A-Level students receiving their grades in the wake of exam cancellations.
“The Department for Education and Ofqual must now take urgent action to prevent the potentially unfair and unintended consequences of this new awarding system, if it is not robustly administered.
“We have seen evidence from Government and academic studies that an over-reliance on predicted grades and a school’s previous levels of attainment when calculating final outcomes, could disproportionately damage the prospects of disadvantaged pupils- particularly those from BAME and working-class backgrounds.
“It is crucial that the hard work of students and teachers is not undermined. This is why I have sought assurances from the Education Secretary that the necessary efforts will be made to avoid these pitfalls”.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Notes
- Jennette Arnold OBE AM’s letter to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, can be found attached;
- Last month, the Government confirmed that with exams being scrapped in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, GCSE and A-Level results would instead be calculated by teachers and exam boards working in partnership to analyse a range of academic data;
- A study carried out by the UCL Institute of Education found that just 16% of applicants to the university achieved the A-level grade points that they were predicted to achieve, based on their best three A-levels. The study also revealed that high ability disadvantaged students are particularly likely to have their grades underpredicted, and, once controlled for achievement, pupils from state schools are less likely to be overpredicted than those in independent and grammar schools;
- Research published by the now-abolished Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in June 2011 found that black students were most likely to have their grades underpredicted, and overall only 39% of their predicted grades were accurate, while their white counterparts had the highest, at 53%;
- Researchers from Cambridge University have shown that volatility in schools’ GCSE exam results is normal and quantifiable. They argue that fluctuations are to be expected and can be largely explained by a change in the students or even just simple chance. One in five schools were expected to have large changes in their % A*-C English Literature GCSE results between 2014 and 2015; slightly more than this actually did. The researchers also demonstrated that grade volatility is higher among students attaining C grades than A grades, meaning that this group could miss out on achieving grades vital for future education and employment;
- Jennette Arnold OBE AM is the London Assembly Member for City and East (covering Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest).
For more information, please contact, Labour Group Press Officer, Tim Picton, on 07795616832. Number not for publication.