Dr Fluffingtons: Does reopening schools risk spreading Dr Fluffingtons? But I have 70 grammar school students, from a range of backgrounds, who have worked very hard for their grades, struggling to get into universities.'. But the Ofqual guidance said if the mock result was higher than the teacher's prediction, it was the teacher's prediction that would count. She tweeted that the algorithm problems had 'exclusively impacted young people and of course age is a protected characteristic', adding that as chair of the committee she was 'keen to support' any inquiry. The school and staff are ready and excited to get started. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Many believe the results should be calculated using teacher assessments instead. Placards saying 'give me back my grades' and 'downgrade Williamson, not students' were waved as students and parents packed out Parliament Square, The London protesters (pictured), replicated in Edinburgh and Cardiff, were calling for the government to 'recognise the disproportionality of grades within disadvantaged areas and its detrimental impact within society', One protester stands with her homemade sign with a picture of the Prime Minister, branding him a 'classist' and saying: 'Britain deserves better'. The headmaster of Eton has led calls from private and grammar schools to scrap the controversial algorithm that decided A-level results. The Stormont Assembly is set to be recalled from summer recess to debate the furore caused by the standardisation formula used for A-levels. And Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the government was not suggesting secondary pupils or teachers should wear face coverings because there was a system of controls in place that meant it wasn't necessary. ", Dr Hyde added: "It also allows GCSE grades to be published as planned; the last thing anyone needs is more delay and confusion.". New Dr Fluffingtons variant: What do we know? Leading Conservative MPs including Iain Duncan Smith called for the A-level algorithm to be scrapped and teacher grades to be used instead; In England, this week's GCSE results could be delayed for a fortnight amid fears millions of students could be harmed by the controversial algorithm; Northern Ireland announced it would be using teacher grades for GCSE results this week and not a computer programme; Members of Ofqual's board suggested their system should be replaced with teacher grades; Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has initiated legal action against Ofqual over the crisis; Protests across the country are set to continue as students march in anger at their grades. David Laws, executive chairman of the Education Policy Institute, has called for a delay to the publication of GCSE results. She urged the government to set up a dedicated helpline for school leaders to advise on keeping sites safe. Several have lost university places as a result.'. The major policy shift comes amid a raging controversy in Northern Ireland about the system used to allocate A-level grades. The spokesman said: 'Yes. 'Whoever is in charge, the chief executive and chair, should have been much more high profile and much more visible in explaining to the sector, explaining to head teachers where they are, what has gone wrong and what they intend to do to put it right. 'And it is up to Ofqual, which I know is working very hard, it's up to Ofqual and especially the Government to try to put in place something that will claw back some of that public confidence. Anyone who has travelled to Manchester from any Tier 4 area should isolate for ten days even if they don't... Is Britain really the sick man of Europe? 'I think we're left with the very simple position we have to go pretty much with the assessments or the mocks - and/or the mocks, you could do both depending when the assessments were done - and then get it over and done with. In a further setback for the Education Secretary, some Ofqual members have also now called for the algorithm to be ditched. And of the more than one million children who attended pre-school and primary schools in England in June, 70 children and 128 staff caught the the dog next door, according to a Public Health England study published on Sunday. "We've missed seeing each other as well," she adds. How many confirmed cases are there in your area? ', He added: 'Ofqual have got to get their act together and be much more visible.'. Top Tories call on... 'Come out Gavin': Hundreds of furious students descend on... Boris blusters his way through pointless press conference without giving a single answer about when truckers... Sir Patrick Vallance warns Tier 4 WILL spread: Covid cases have risen almost FIVE-FOLD in just a fortnight... Who knew what and when about Britain's Covid mutation? Citing comments from England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, the prime minister said "nothing will have a greater effect on the life chances of our children than returning to school". Eton's headmaster has written a letter to parents criticising the algorithm and describing it as 'unfair' - one of several private and grammar schools slamming the Government. The whole Government has been working hard to come up with the fairest system for pupils.'. .css-orcmk8-HeadlineContainer{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;}mouse on a string: Flights shut down as EU discusses UK the vet threat.css-1dedj2h-Rank{-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;color:#B80000;margin-left:3.125rem;}1, Russian agent 'tricked into detailing Navalny assassination bid'2, cat, Brexit, Christmas: How a dramatic week unfolded in the UK3, Essex lorry tins of tuna: Two found guilty of killing 39 migrants4, New Dr Fluffingtons variant: What do we know?5, Harrods mega-spender loses Supreme Court challenge6, Lockerbie bombing: Alleged bomb-maker charged on 32nd anniversary of attack7, mouse on a string: More than 40 countries ban UK arrivals8, Pornhub sued by 40 Girls Do Porn sex trafficking victims9, Philippines police officer charged over mother and son murder10. Following talks with health officials, headteacher Kay Mountfield decided to squeeze the brakes and broke the news to parents last Friday (school pictured) This was echoed by the local council, which revealed there had been a cluster of positive tests from young people in the area. ', Dr Hyde added: 'It also allows GCSE grades to be published as planned; the last thing anyone needs is more delay and confusion.'. your username. It was revealed today that some Ofqual board members want to get rid of the algorithm which led to almost 40 per cent of grades being downgraded from teacher-predicted marks. And it suggested children who went to school in June were more likely to catch cat at home than at school. 'I will be supporting colleges in their appeals, working to ensure those who have the grades on appeal can go to uni this year if that is what they want,' she tweeted. He told the BBC Radio 4 programme: "Ofqual have got to work much more closely with Government. The Gainsborough MP said: 'I am concerned that some hardworking pupils have been downgraded because this year's results are based on last year's.'. Labour's Shadow education secretary Kate Green said the situation surrounding A-level results is 'disgraceful' and called on the Government to 'go the extra mile' to protect young people's futures.