Students' waiting game continues

An independent inquiry into allegations of A-level grade fixing has recommended some papers be re-graded.

In his report into the affair, Mike Tomlinson - the former chief inspector of schools in England - said the complexity of the new, two-stage A-level system, had meant there was "an accident waiting to happen".

The confusion led to many students getting lower grades in their A-levels than predicted, with many failing to make the grade for their first choice university.

By Mike Baker BBC education correspondent

Although Mike Tomlinson said he would not know until next Tuesday how many papers need to be re-graded, it will certainly run into the tens of thousands.

The subjects most affected include mass entry papers such as English Literature, history, geography, modern foreign languages and biology.

There are also thought to be problems in business studies, music and psychology.

The main concerns are over the Oxford and Cambridge and the AQA boards. The third board, Edexcel, appears to be in the clear.

Head teachers remain extremely angry at the damage done to students.

'Disaster'

Former independent school headmaster Dr John Cook said: "I think it is a real disaster for the students who've missed out on their first or second choice university as a result of this sort of shambles.

"And if they are graded upwards so that they would have made their original choice university it's going to be something they will regret for the rest of their lives," he said.

So what is the timetable for students? The final list of subjects affected will be decided on Tuesday, but it will take another week at least before students get their new grades.

The papers do not need to be remarked, but there will be changes to the number of marks needed to obtain each grade.

University places

No student will have their grade lowered, but where they are raised university entrants could be affected.

If it means a student should, after all, have been offered a university place, then they will now be guaranteed that place.

But it will probably not be available until next year. That means many students will decide to stay with their second or third choices.

In that respect the damage that has been done by this sorry affair can never be put right.

Meanwhile, for current students worried about the future of A-levels, the Education Secretary, Estelle Morris, promised the exams were here to stay for many more years.

Mike Baker will be reflecting further on the A-level fiasco next week.