Grade inflation and leading independent schools in London and beyond

[YesterdayandToday]

Last week, this was in the news. I am surprised nobody initiated a discussion on this (or maybe, I missed).

NLCS, SPGS and a many of the GDST's highlighted in the Times. What do you guys think?

"Teachers at dozens of private schools at least doubled the proportion of A*s handed out to their A-level pupils last year compared with 2019, when children last sat public exams, a new analysis shows.

In 2019, 16.1 per cent of private school pupils had their A-levels graded A*. In 2021 — when teachers decided what marks to award their pupils — the proportion jumped to 39.5 per cent.

Research by The Sunday Times shows for the first time the extent of the grade inflation in individual schools. At North London Collegiate School, a girls’ school in Edgware whose senior fees are more than £21,000 a year, the proportion of A* grades soared from 33.8 per cent in 2019 to 90.2 per cent last summer. The 56.4 percentage point increase is the highest recorded in the investigation."

"Among the leading private schools that have not published detailed A-level results are Eton College, King’s College School, Wimbledon, Westminster School and the Manchester Grammar School."

"At St Paul’s Girls’ School in Hammersmith, west London, which has topped the Parent Power independent school rankings for nine of the past ten years, As rose from 52.1 per cent to 87.5 per cent. Derby High School saw A grades rise from 6.5 per cent to 53.9 per cent, a 47.4 percentage point rise, second only to North London Collegiate."

"At Eltham College in southeast London, A* grades rose from 29.1 per cent to 72.2 per cent, a 43.1 percentage point rise."

It's one I often make, even after working for over 18 years in that (the independent) sector, and nearly all of that for the school cited above.

@quiteoldad - I think the issue is your crazy CEO style boss who just cares about the money flowing in. This is not typical across the whole sector. I bet your “boss” is not actually a good teacher himself - is he a City slicker suit type.
Teachers should be able to challenge management in all schools, state or independent. The same applies to the NHS. We need a robust whistle blowing process across these sectors.

@quiteoldad are you saying you're currently a teacher at EC? That's quite a revelation you're making there...

“Yes, indeed, very interesting, and not unsurprising to me. As an academic, I've seen a massive drop-out and failure rate in this cohort, which came in with inflated teacher-awarded grades for very little work and expected this to continue at university. And, yes, a lot of these students were educated in independent schools. These schools have done their students few favours in the long (or medium) run, but perhaps I guess they were just as interested in their own statistics and league table positions, if not more.”

Same applies to some grammars but it is very difficult to prove anything after the event. And the truth is that a lot of independent schools and grammars continued to provide proper teaching online and have rich, involved parents more likely to be working from home/tutoring on the side as well. In addition, the whole cohort has suffered no end of resilience/mental health challenges as well which can lead to entitled behaviour. It is the job of university’s now to plug the gap as well -oh wait, a lot of them do not have the funding to do so! Strikes/not marking etc. - how is this going to help this cohort?
We as adults have failed them and time to admit that and support them through it at all stages - school, uni, graduate employment. Rather than write them off!

shock

"I bet your “boss” is not actually a good teacher himself - is he a City slicker suit type." workisnotawolf

No, they are not a city slicker suit type and I have my suspicions as to how good a teacher they are/were. I've seen lots of cover work that's been set by our staff that are works of art. Well thought out, differentiated material with a good variety of tasks. I covered a lesson for the head that was along the lines of "Read pages 187/188" and make notes."

"We need a robust whistle blowing process across these sectors. " workisnotawolf

We do indeed, but when Ofqual were informed by us that the guidelines set out by both them and our examination board weren't being followed, Ofqual really didn't want to know. I guess in spring 2020 they were all running around like headless chickens and teachers creating more work for them was the last thing they wanted. Essentially they stuck their fingers in their ears and said "Whistle? What whistle?"

No I'm not at EC

"As an academic, I've seen a massive drop-out and failure rate in this cohort, which came in with inflated teacher-awarded grades for very little work and expected this to continue at university. And, yes, a lot of these students were educated in independent schools. " GCAcademic

I've heard from a couple of sources, (but have not seen any statistics to either confirm or dispute the notion) that students from Independent schools have a higher drop out rate in their first year of university. If this is true then it could well be because in many fee paying schools, students are spoon fed and have their hands held far more than it the state sector. We virtually write their personal statements for them. Again, only the experience of my school, other independent schools are available.

"And the truth is that a lot of independent schools and grammars continued to provide proper teaching online and have rich, involved parents more likely to be working from home/tutoring on the side as well." workisnotawolf

Very true. Our online provision was excellent. On the whole we provided very well crafted, online lessons that were well adapted to the medium of communication. In discussion with colleagues in the state sector we went well beyond them in terms of not only the amount of the material provided, but also the quality of the provision.

Yes many schools did this, state and independent, disgraceful behaviour and did the children no favours. My DDs school didn't, in fact their grades were lower than normal, evidently the head was worried they would be found out if they inflated.

Presumably no checking was done afterwards? Another big failure.

I feel for all the students, like my DD, who missed out on their 1st choice uni because of this. I wonder how many dropped out of that course.

It was not only Independent schools that inflated grades. The daughter of a colleague of mine got all 4s and 5 s in her GCSEs at a London State School (real exams). Her mother was astounded when she got AAB for her A levels.