Private schools are expected to take a bigger than ever share of the top grades when teenagers get the results of their A-levels next week.
The attainment gap between state and independent schools is thought to have widened this year, sources close to the government told The Times.
Exams were cancelled in England at the start of the year and replaced by teacher-assessed grades. Sources said that as a result a greater proportion of A and A* grades than last year could go to privately educated pupils.
There have been reports of pressure from parents on schools to award generous grades, especially within the independent sector. Experts suggested, however, that lockdown and school closures were also likely to have disproportionately affected the state sector. Laura McInerney, an education analyst, said: “It’s highly possible this isn’t down to unfair grade inflation by private school teachers. Given all the evidence of how much harder school closures hit state school pupils it would be extraordinary if private school kids weren’t showing higher achievements.”
Research by the Sutton Trust in January, at the start of the second period of school closures, found that 5 per cent of teachers in state schools said that all their pupils had access to a device such as an iPad, compared with 54 per cent in private schools. It also found that 86 per cent of private schools were using online live lessons compared with 50 per cent of state schools — a gap that had widened since the first lockdown.
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Exams were abandoned in 2020 in favour of school-assessed grades moderated by an algorithm. The initial A-level results showed inflation on the year before, but rose even further when the algorithm was scrapped amid concerns about unfairness.
An Ofqual report shows that last year after the algorithm was abolished, 60.4 per cent of A-levels taken at private schools were awarded the two top grades. At comprehensives the figure was 32.7 cent. In a survey by TES, responded to by 2,800 grading teachers, one in four reported parents had put pressure on them to raise grades. Among the 480 private school teachers who responded, it was one in three.
Some private schools are believed to have sent letters to universities on behalf of pupils who have narrowly missed grades. Barnaby Lenon, a former headmaster of Harrow and chairman of the Independent Schools Council, which represents more than 1,300 schools, said: “Given that schools know pupils’ grades, they should contact universities about candidates they know have just missed out on offers straight away.”
Many of the letters to admissions tutors at Russell Group universities and medical schools offered Covid-related excuses for pupils who have done worse than expected in their A-levels.
Ministers stand accused of doing too little too late to help poorer pupils after failing to implement the full £15 billion plan recommended by the education recovery commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins. Andy Byers, head of Framwellgate School in Durham, said: “If you want more of a level playing field, you’ve got to fund state schools better.”
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A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on speculation. It would be unfair on students who have worked so hard and will be expecting their results next week.”
