STUDENTS in England have been told their A-level grades will now be based on teachers’ assessments – if they were higher than the moderated grades they received.

GCSE students who are anxiously awaiting their results on Thursday can also opt for grades based on their teachers’ estimates rather than the controversial algorithm devised by exams regulator Ofqual.

The government’s U-turn comes after Ofqual revealed that nearly two in five (39.1 per cent) A-level grades in England were reduced from teachers’ predictions.

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We asked our readers whether they agreed with the government's move.

On Twitter, we created a poll and said: "The government has u-turned on its controversial A-level grading formula — was this the right decision?"

Out of the 64 respondents, 90.6 per cent agreed with the decision and voted 'yes'.

Meanwhile, 9.4 per cent disagreed and voted 'no'.

A-level and GCSE students in England will now be able to use their centre assessment grades (CAGs) – the grades submitted by schools and colleges to the exam boards – if they are higher than the moderated grade.

Teachers were told to submit the grades they thought each student would most likely have received if they had sat the papers, after this summer’s exams were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Exam boards moderated these grades to ensure this year’s results were not significantly higher than previous years using an algorithm created by England’s exams regulator.

Students can keep their calculated grade from exam boards, but if their schools’ original estimated grade was higher then they can also use that result.

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Critics complained that Ofqual’s algorithm – which was used by exam boards to make the adjustments – had penalised pupils in schools in more disadvantaged areas, while benefiting those in private schools.

Head teachers reported that schools and colleges with larger cohorts saw more of their students’ grades downgraded, while those with smaller cohorts did not appear to be as affected.

Politicians and education unions called on ministers to scrap the unfair model and revert to teachers’ estimated grades to ensure students could progress into higher education and employment.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has admitted that the algorithm produced more “significant inconsistencies” than could be rectified through an appeals process.