ISC Daily News Summary

Ofqual has confirmed schools in England will be able to appeal their students' GCSE and A-level results if they can prove historical data used to standardise grades is not "representative" of students' performance this year. By Eleanor Busby, The Independent.

According to Tes, teacher assessed grades have not been used to calculate the "vast majority" of GCSE results this year, and around 60 per cent of A-level grades in large-entry subjects will be based solely on statistical modelling. By Catherine Lough. The article quotes Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the ISC.

New guidance published by the Department for Education (DfE) warns students against hugging each other on A-level results day next week. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

An article in Tes reports Fiona Robertson, chief examining officer at the Scottish Qualifications Authority, is expected to give evidence to the Education and Skills Committee on Wednesday about the moderation process used to calculate results in Scotland this year.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she "very possibly" would have joined demonstrations against the lowering of exam grades, had it affected her while she was at school. By Daniel Sanderson, The Telegraph.

According to a survey of more than 24,000 teachers in Scotland, only 18 per cent of respondents are confident that schools are currently safe to reopen. Tes.

The DfE has confirmed pupils who are forced to stay at home to self-isolate or quarantine will not be marked as 'absent' from school. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

An article in The Telegraph explores the pros and cons of taking a gap year during the pandemic. By Rachael Sigee.

According to the Education Policy Institute, better-off pupils in England will receive more support than their peers in less affluent areas under the Government's latest school funding plan. By Judith Burns, BBC News.