A thread on my thoughts about the A-Level fiasco for what it's worth 1/9

Any standardisation to past school results will disadvantage students who are getting much higher grades than average for their school and advantage students getting much lower grades than average for their school 2/9

This means those most disadvantaged are exceptional students in schools with worse results and those most benefited are less good students in the schools with the best results 3/9

This is entirely the wrong way round. Exceptional students in lower performing schools are the ones we should have protected. 4/9

Students in the schools with the highest grades (often private schools) are well placed to cope with poorer than expected grades: they can be supported to retake exams, to appeal, to get into a uni anyway. They are the *least* likely to have been downgraded. 5/9

Downgraded students from schools with worse grades will find it harder. Will they be able to (financially, practically) to appeal? defer and retake? it's not just the mechanics but the know-how & sense of entitlement that private schools in particular offer their students. 6/9

All of this was predictable as soon as standardisation was decided. It feels so repugnant to have caused so much misery and distress to students, their families & teachers 7/9

And fundamentally I conclude that the cabinet, Eton boys most, just don't care. These aren't their sort of people & not their sort of problems. They can't conceive of how impossible the idea of fighting on for your uni place must seem. 8/9

And full disclosure: I went to a top public school. I have come to understand just how much of an advantage that was, especially how much I took for granted. Of course I would go to uni, of course I would succeed. It makes me angrier now. 9/9