Daily roundup: GCSE marking fiasco, NSPCC guidance on sexual abuse, and safeguarding UK children abroad

Teachers who gave pupils “over-generous” marks for coursework indirectly forced external examiners to raise grade boundaries for this summer’s GCSE English exams, a report by exams watchdog Ofqual has claimed. Ofqual chief executive Glenys Stacey said: “Our report reinforces the need for strong and independent regulation. We have learnt lessons and found areas where we might have done better. Others must also reflect on the findings of the report and consider how, together, we can continue to improve the rigour and credibility of examinations." Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), accused Ofqual of “shifting the blame” for the fiasco onto teachers.

The NSPCC has launched new guidance on how to protect children from sexual abuse, highlighting the key role of parents. The charity said more than one in three contacts it receives about child sexual abuse are made by the child’s own parent. It said that while neighbours or teachers may spot the signs of physical abuse or neglect of such as bruises or marks, the signs of sexual abuse are usually less obvious. John Cameron, head of the NSPCC's helpline, said: “We know that reporting concerns is not easy, particularly when the abuser is someone that the parent knows and perhaps trusts. But to protect children, people need to act and we provide sensitive professional help and support.”