Fears more than 1,000 pupils were given the wrong GCSE maths grade | Politics | News
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott (Image: Getty)
More than 1,000 young people received wrong grades for their maths GCSE last year may have damaged their chances of being accepted into sixth form or studying maths A-level. The Conservatives are now demanding the papers be re-marked after the mistake was spotted by a teacher at Michaela Community School in London. Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said: “More than 1,000 young people have missed their GCSE Maths grade by one point. Some may now be forced into unnecessary repeats, while others receiving lower grades could have an impact on their life chances through no fault of their own.”
Official exams watchdog Ofqual also raised concerns last year about an exam overseen by exam board Cambridge OCR. The sixth question, in which students were asked to provide the “range of error” for the width of an object, used a different approach than previous years; This meant that it differed from the approach taught to students. As a result, students were unable to provide the required answer, according to math teacher Brett Williams-Yale.
Read more: Ban mobile phones in the classroom ‘to protect children from abuse’
Read more: School children ‘demand striking teachers waving Palestinian flags to return to work’
He was shocked to learn that 1,609 students who took the exam nationwide missed the mark by just one point. It is claimed that hundreds of students were punished due to incorrect questions.
Mr Williams-Yale said: “There are over 1,000 kids out there who are one point away from the next grade. Some of them will fail maths because of it. But they have no idea.”
“In the past, teachers understood the answer the examiners wanted and that is the answer we teach children to leave.
“But last year they changed the standard.”
Mr Williams-Yale’s concerns were confirmed after he complained to regulator Ofqual. The watchdog judged that the approach taken on this question was “inconsistent with the approach taken on other comparable questions”. Ofqual said: “This inconsistency raises concerns about the clarity of assessment and the extent to which candidates can be expected to interpret the requirements predictably and fairly.”
Ofqual is now considering whether further action is required.
Many sixth forms and colleges have minimum grade requirements for both maths and English to enable students to study at A-levels; There are higher requirements for science and mathematics courses.
Mr Williams-Yale said: “There will be some kids who fail maths and have to retake it, who don’t get to do the A-level combinations they want to do or the apprenticeship they want to do, or who miss out on sixth form.”
Ms Trott warned Ofqual that unless new grades were awarded “confidence not only in the individual exam series but also in the integrity and fairness of the wider qualifications system will be at risk”.
He said: “This is about fundamental fairness. Trust in the exam system is important. When an error is identified, it is only right that it is corrected and fixed. Ofqual has upheld the complaint, it is unacceptable for OCR to sit back and do nothing.”
“I wrote to OCR requesting a meeting and urging them to reconsider and evaluate the documents. Doing nothing when an error is detected is not good enough.”
A Cambridge OCR spokesman said: “This question, which was the subject of a complaint from a single school, was written and marked according to correct mathematics. The questions in 2017, 2019 and 2024 were marked the same as the 2025 question, with no complaints or concerns from the schools.”
“Our analysis found that the question successfully assessed student ability. Those who performed better overall on the exam were also more likely to answer this question correctly. Claims that more than 1,000 students near class boundaries were missed due to this question are not supported by the facts.”
“It would not be fair or appropriate to accept wrong answers to this 2025 question.”
A Department for Education spokesman said: “As the independent regulator, Ofqual is responsible for regulating exam boards, ensuring qualifications are delivered consistently and meet required standards.
“Across the entire education system this government is committed to delivering high and rising standards to every child so they have the opportunity to succeed and thrive – exams play a critical role in this.”
