The Sunday Times reports that private schools have been accused of taking advantage of disruption to A-levels caused by the pandemic by lobbying top universities and medical schools to take pupils whose performance is too weak to qualify for a place. Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council, confirmed some schools had sent pleading letters on behalf of pupils who had dropped a grade, and urged others to do the same. Because A-level grades have been awarded this year by teachers, schools can see which pupils have missed out on places at Oxbridge and medical schools.