Disadvantaged pupils' A-level grades 'could be under-predicted'
Fiona Simpson
Friday, February 26, 2021
Disadvantaged young people could see their A-level results under-predicted by teacher assessments, charities have warned.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced earlier this week that this year’s grades will be “based on teachers’ assessments of the standard at which their students are performing, and that the grade should indicate the student’s demonstrated knowledge, understanding and skills”.
The algorithm meant disadvantaged children at school’s poorly rated by Ofsted or from less affluent areas received lower grades than peers from better performing schools in more affluent areas despite having achieved the same or higher mock exam results.
The government later allowed pupils to opt to use teacher-predicted grades assessed in the same way they will be for this year’s cohort.
However, education charity Impetus has warned this could further impact disadvantaged A-level students wishing to attend university as “exam grades of high-attaining young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be under-predicted”.
Steve Haines, director of public affairs at Impetus said: “Teacher assessed grades for this year’s cohort of A-level students risk grade inflation. We know that the exam grades of high-attaining young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be under-predicted.
“With record university application numbers, additional competition for the remaining places means universities must put fair access at the heart of their admissions policies for 2021.”
The charity is calling on universities to support disadvantaged students by:
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Committing to their widening participation aims by prioritising young people from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds for remaining 2021 offer-making.
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Following A-Level results, wait until after the appeals process is completed before confirming places.
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Where courses are oversubscribed, not force students from disadvantaged backgrounds to defer.
Haines added: “Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have been disproportionately affected by the upheaval of the last year. We all want young people to get the opportunities that reflect their ability, so today’s announcement must come with measures that support all young people to gain the university offers their hard work deserves.”
Meanwhile, Tom McBride, director of evidence at Early Intervention Foundation added that disadvantaged children must be prioritised in school catch-up plans to avoid being further impacted by school closures.
He said: “There’s plenty of evidence that unfortunately the attainment gap grew during lockdown, with disadvantaged children having been more adversely impacted by home schooling as a result of a digital divide and often cramped housing conditions. That’s why the catch up work needs to keep prioritising those who’ve fallen furthest behind because of school closures.”
He added that the mental health of the most disadvantaged should be at the forefront of such plans, saying: “We’d also like to see prioritisation of mental health as pupils return to school to help them reintegrate better into learning. Good mental health and attainment go hand in hand. Schools focusing on mental health is something we’ve previously found that parents are broadly supportive of.”
The comments come as new research by charity YoungMinds reveals that more than two thirds of young people with pre-existing mental health needs believe that the pandemic will have a long-term negative effect on their mental health.
YoungMinds surveyed more than 2,000 young people aged 13- to 25 who had a history of mental health issues.
Among respondents who were at school or college, almost half (48 per cent) did not think that their school was focusing more on wellbeing and mental health than usual.
