Headteachers’ leaders are urging ministers to explain to employers that A-level grades have returned to pre-pandemic levels amid concerns about the number of students who will miss out on their expected grades this year.
A-level results on Thursday are set to return to grade patterns seen in 2019 after three years of higher grades following the cancellation of exams because of Covid in both 2020 and 2021.
Commenting in advance of the results, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said it is “imperative” that the government engages with employer associations and provides advice and guidance for employers to use over the changes that have taken place to grading standards between 2020 and 2023.
Mr Barton said the return to pre-Covid grading levels in England will feel like a “bitter pill” for many students receiving their A-level and vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) results after they suffered disruption to their education as a result of the pandemic.
He said that students in disadvantaged circumstances were “adversely affected” during the pandemic years, and called for “everything possible” to be done to support them.
“This is vital to ensure that employers understand how different cohorts of students have been graded during and after the Covid pandemic, and guard against students being disadvantaged in applications for jobs both now and in the future,” he said.
A levels: Tougher grading this year
Mr Barton added that grading standards this year are expected to return to a similar pattern to 2019, meaning that the number of students achieving the top grades will reduce in comparison with last year. The number last year was a reduction on the previous year.
“While universities are steeped in the mechanics of different qualification systems and will adjust accordingly, this is not necessarily the case with employers, who will have differing levels of knowledge about these changes. The government must work with employer associations to disseminate clear information upon which recruiters can easily draw in assessing candidates,” he said.
Stephen Isherwood, chief executive of the Institute of Student Employers, said: “We agree with the ASCL that it’s important that employers understand that student grades are returning to 2019 standards this year.
“We would like to see more clarification from government on what this actually means, which would help employers ensure assessment practices are relevant to the situation young people are in.”
The government is trying to return grades to a similar level to that seen before the pandemic, after the grade inflation that resulted from exams being cancelled in 2020 and 2021. In 2019 the proportion of students achieving a grade C equivalent or above at GCSE was 69.9 per cent.
This figure rose to 78.8 per cent in 2020 when centre-assessed grades (CAGs) were awarded, and in 2021 it increased to 79.1 per cent with teacher-assessed grades (TAGs).
When in-person exams returned in 2022, the proportion dropped to 73 per cent.
Schools minister Nick Gibb has said exam results need to return to pre-pandemic levels this year to ensure the qualifications carry “weight and credibility” with employers, universities and colleges.
Last year, grading in England aimed to reflect a midway point between 2019 and 2021.
The cohort of students who are currently awaiting their A-level results did not take GCSE exams and were awarded results determined by their teachers in 2021 - which was a record year for top grades.
In the Sunday Times, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said students receiving their results must expect lower grades than last year so universities and employers “understand the distinction between grades when recruiting”.
A Department for Education (DfE) spokeswoman said: “We have engaged extensively with stakeholders since the pathway back to pre-pandemic grades was decided two years ago.
“It’s vital that grading returns to normal to make sure qualifications maintain their value and credibility.
“Ofqual has built protection into the grading process this year to recognise the disruption that students have faced, meaning they will be just as likely to achieve a particular grade this year as they would have been before the pandemic.
“We are making almost £5 billion available to help pupils to catch up including over £1.5 billion for the National Tutoring Programme and 16-19 Tuition Fund, which have supported millions of students in need of extra support.”
An Ofqual spokeswoman said: “Back in September 2021, Ofqual announced a two-year plan that would see grading move back to similar levels to 2019, even if the quality of students’ work was a little weaker due to the disruption students have faced.
“This means that a student who would have achieved, say a B grade in A-level Geography before the pandemic, is just as likely to achieve a B this year.
“Ofqual has engaged with employers’ associations to let them know in advance that grades would be lower this year and similar to the pre-pandemic levels that they are familiar with.
“It’s important that we get back to normal so that grades set young people up for college, university or employment in the best possible way, and help them to make the right choices about their next steps, whether that’s further study or moving into the world of work.”
