ORPINGTON: Headteacher appealing against three exam results

THE headteacher of an Orpington girls' school says staff and pupils are "extremely frustrated" about confusion over this year's A-level results.

Elizabeth Allen, of Newstead Wood, is appealing against three exam results issued by Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR), the board being investigated over allegations of grade fixing.

In one case, star pupil Sarah Hawkins, 18, has had to accept a place at Southampton University after "considerable discrepancies" in marking left her with a C in French instead of an expected A.

Mrs Allen said: "There seems to have been a nervousness in examiners giving top marks. It looks as if the most able students have had some of their grades controlled.

"Sarah is a superb student, who has been a pleasure to work with and nurture through school. It's frustrating to feel your hands are tied at the very point when you should be celebrating her success. OCR handles millions of papers and gets it right most of the time."

She has written to exam watchdog Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to register her concerns.

Sarah, who had hoped to study French and philosophy at Sheffield, was given a U in her French oral module. Her teachers told her she could expect an A.

She said: "How could I have gone from an A to an unclassified in the same paper?

"This has been so distressing and we're just baffled by it."

Meanwhile, Bromley Council leader Councillor Michael Tickner's son, Oliver, will have to take a year out before taking his place at Leicester University to study law after his English A level was marked B instead of A. It has since been upgraded.

On Friday, September 20, QCA chief executive Ken Boston cleared OCR of unfair marking of course-work.

The Government's chief inspector of schools Mike Tomlinson is carrying out his own investigation into allegations of downgrading. The result is expected later in the week.

Education secretary Estelle Morris ordered the inquiries after complaints from headteachers last week.

She said: "The A level is the gold standard of our qualifications. If there is any doubt the standard is being devalued, we must act."

A spokesman for OCR said it would await Mr Tomlinson's findings before commenting.