The Govt's whole schtick was that students wouldn't be allowed to appeal, only schools, and even then only on the grounds that the algorithm had disadvantaged the whole school, not if an individual student had been disadvantaged. #AlevelResults
1/8 https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-A-levels-and-gcses-will-need-appeals-mocks-count

The reason, presumably, was to maintain comparability with other schools and to avoid triggering half a million individual appeals which would overload the system, undermine any consistent approach and delay uni/apprenticeship/job starts.
2/8

Along came Scotland's decision and that meant that comparability was out of the window anyway and so now the Govt looks bad whatever it does. Sticking to its position would have meant A levels were devalued against Highers. Shifting means they're devalued against other years.
3/8

The result is an L-turn, rather than a full U. Students still can't appeal, but schools can on behalf of individuals based on mocks which are utterly inconsistent and unfit as summative assessments.

The problem with an L-turn is you're now completely off-track.
4/8

So now the new arrangements will bring about all the problems the Government hoped to avoid: the comparability was compromised by Scotland and has now been completely dismantled by the English Govt; meanwhile, protracted and chaotic appeals will increase too.
5/8

And of course, the appeals system is unfairly stacked towards students whose schools will take up a burdensome appeal on their behalf.

We know how persuading schools to appeal usually works: parents, privilege, pestering.
6/8

I wish that wasn't true and we must applaud the many great teachers, schools and colleges who fight for their disadvantaged, disenfranchised kids, but the grade predictions data says they're the exception: privilege generates teacher expectation.
7/8

I sympathise with the Government finding itself in an incredibly difficult situation, but this eleventh-hour panic policy-making has failed to consider even the most basic implications, let alone whether they even have the legal authority. Challenges may well end up in court.
8/8