When we were asked to create centre-assessed grades by Ofqual, we set about the task with diligence and professionalism.
I think most headteachers would say Ofqual consulted constructively with school centres and arrived at a model which was appropriate given the circumstances and the timeline they were working to.
So it is deeply frustrating that there have been last-minute significant changes in how those grades are going to be represented to students and parents. The “triple-lock” phraseology has been used to make the process sound more secure and meaningful.
Read more: Mock A-level and GCSE grades to equal official results
Coronavirus: ‘We apologise to nobody’ for mocks change, says Nick Gibb
Qualifications: A-level results day 2020: all dates and information
In particular, one of the most troubling elements facing us is that we have literally woken to the news that mock exam grading may now be used by students and considered by higher education institutions.
This is not ideal, putting it mildly, as mocks are not standardised across schools.
For example, schools undertake these exams at different points in programmes of study. Some schools call them practice tests or trial exams, and the marking can vary a lot.
Some schools mark harshly and others more leniently, both with a view to offer encouragement and drive aspiration and motivation.
Essentially, schools use mocks for differing purposes but there was no forewarning that they might be used to directly support access to post-18 destinations.
A-level results: A loss of confidence
Schools have spent considerable time keeping parents and students informed about this year’s extraordinary process, and school leaders are now making further adjustments in almost real-time the day before results are released.
There is a sense that the hard work and checks and balances that schools engaged in to produce grades that were fair and balanced for students risk being undermined. Last-minute changes like this really don’t help us at all.
Confidence in the examination system and the outcomes from it is vital for schools.
Anything that risks a loss of faith for teachers, parents or students is concerning.
We do seem to have shifted from an organised process where we were making the best of a difficult situation by using a centre-assessed grade methodology into a last-minute and rather chaotic delivery.
The author is a senior leader at an international school
