Teachers felt under pressure to ensure that their judgements were not too generous when assigning GCSE and A-level grades last summer, Ofqual has found.

New research by the exams watchdog, published today, states that nearly a third of teachers (31 per cent) felt pressurised in relation to their centre-assessed grades (CAGs) in 2020.

And the threat of senior staff lowering CAGs was “strongly felt and not popular”, according to Ofqual.

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The research into teachers’ own experiences of the 2020 assessment process was conducted in July and early August of last year, before the decision was taken to scrap Ofqual’s controversial algorithm and assign students the highest out of their CAG or calculated grade.

GCSEs and A levels: Teachers felt pressured over grades in 2020

The survey, which was carried out online, received 1,234 responses, of which 866 were fully complete. These covered a range of teaching roles, centre types and subjects.

The report states: “Some respondents reported feeling pressurised in relation to their judgements (31 per cent), although they largely reported that their centres had done a good job protecting their staff from external pressures.

“The pressure felt was largely around the need to make sure their CAGs were not more generous than results at the centre in previous years. 

“The threat of senior management lowering a member of staff’s own CAGs was strongly felt and not popular.”