GCSE results 2017: Thousands of students to receive ‘wrong’ grades under new marking system, warn experts

Thousands of students could receive the wrong GCSE results under the new marking system, experts have warned.

For the first time, pupils in England will get numerical grades from 9, the highest, down to 1, instead of the traditional A* – G grades.

Experts have said the new system, which is attempting to reduce the number of top grades, could lead to pupils getting grades they should not receive.

Robert Coe, a professor in Durham University’s School of Education, said that in some cases a child’s grade will be “not much more than chance”.

“Part of the reason for the re-grading process was because the top grades had become a bit too common, and you want something that discriminates a bit more,” he said.

“But the trade-off is that it is more likely to be wrong, with people awarded a grade that they shouldn’t have. When you start to look, it is quite alarming. Individual subject grades can make a huge difference to someone’s whole life course. They really do matter.”