Flaws in algorithm warning ignored a month ago

Due to pressure to prevent grade inflation, Ofqual ignored warnings of flaws in the exams algorithm that left thousands of students devastated.

Reports claim that the regulator was warned at least a month ago that its formula for deciding England’s pupils’ A-level and GCSE results was ‘volatile’ and risked producing erratic outcomes. Despite this, and because of longstanding ministerial pressure to prevent grade inflation, that formula was kept in place - prompting first the mass downgrades for a number of students, and then the government u-turn to rescue the situation.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has claimed that he only became aware of the scale of the unfairness of the algorithm when the full details were published ‘over the weekend’, although sources have argued that he himself had raised earlier concerns about the model and sought reassurances from Ofqual.

This morning, The Times reported that Jon Coles, chief executive of the United Learning schools trust, warned Williamson last month that Ofqual’s system would unfairly grade pupils, in a letter and a subsequent call. But Williamson declined to act after receiving ‘reassurances’ from the regulator.