Times

The Times says Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, was warned directly that the A-level and GCSE grading system could lead to hundreds of thousands of students being given the wrong results, but decided to push ahead anyway.

Thousands of students have been left in limbo after the A-level fallout, with many now having to defer their university courses until next year, says The Times.

The Times also says there will be a scramble for university places following the government’s U-turn. Sketch writer Quentin Letts says the political class of 2020 have shown “world-beating ineptitude”.

Boris Johnson is being told by MPs to end the exam shambles, following the release of thousands of downgraded A-level results last week, and ahead of the GCSE results day on Thursday, according to The Times.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said every school in England will be able to appeal against A-level and GCSE grades free of charge, The Times reports.

The Times leads with the news that people returning from France will have to isolate for two weeks due to a resurgence in coronavirus cases across the Channel.

The Times says more than 100,000 pupils who will have their A-levels downgraded by regulators have been thrown a lifeline by universities that are ready to rip up their admissions rules for this year.

The Times reports on Thursday’s A-level results, saying Education Secretary Gavin Williamson made a “last-minute” concession to allow students to take their mock exam result if it was a better grade.