Students in England will now be given their predicted grades for A-levels and GCSEs.

The results will now be based on teachers’ assessments, unless the grades produced by a controversial algorithm are higher, regulator Ofqual has announced.

Pupils were unable to sit their exams this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But instead of receiving their predicted grades, their results were decided by an algorithm aimed at standardising results across the country.

In England, 39.1% of all A-level entries were downgraded.

This led to many receiving results much lower than they had expected, and in some cases losing out on university places, prompting widespread anger.

The system was accused of being classist, as pupils attending schools which had historically received lower results were more likely to be downgraded.

Acknowledging the problems, the Welsh Government today moved to award students their predicted grades instead for A-level, AS, GCSE, Skills Challenge Certificate and Welsh Baccalaureate.

Ahead of the announcement in England, protest organiser Monica Lewis said: ‘I’m hoping Gavin will step back and take a look at all of us.

‘We’re in his constituency here, so he’s our MP, he should be the one supporting us and standing up for us in Parliament so we’re hoping that he will take a U-turn, as Scotland did.

‘Hopefully he’ll award us all the grades we are rightly deserved.

‘I’m hoping he’s going to allow us to appeal our predicted grades or, as Scotland did, everyone can have their predicted grades that our teachers thought we would get.

‘He’s the Education Secretary. He should be supporting them (teachers) instead of saying they are lying by giving us different grades.’

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