HEADTEACHERS from across Denbighshire have formed a collective to hit out at "appalling" grade boundary changes that have left pupils without a vital C grade at GCSE.

Major changes to the examination criteria by the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) have meant that pupils who sat the English GCSE examination in the summer of 2018 were received a D instead of a C grade despite having the same marks as pupils who sat the examination the previous summer or their year-group peers who sat them early in autumn 2017.

Within Denbighshire there are more than 100 children who have failed to achieve the Level 2+ threshold in 2018, which rose from 200 to 220 points.

Headteachers from Conwy, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Flintshire and Wrexham schools have also lent their voices to a call for answers from cabinet secretary Kirsty Williams AM.

A joint statement from the north Wales headteachers said: "The report and explanation provided by Qualifications Wales (QW) did not address our concerns and did not provide a clear or logical explanation as to the reason why the grade boundary was raised by so many marks.

"In the first instance we request that those pupils disadvantaged this summer are re-graded and are awarded the C Grade that they so rightly deserve.

"We also request that QW and the WJEC provide schools with an indication of where GCSE grade boundaries are likely to sit in 2019 as a matter of urgency, as teachers, pupils and parents have lost confidence in the WJEC as an awarding body.

"In a climate of constant educational change undermining teacher confidence is the last thing we need. As a group of headteachers we feel a great injustice has been served upon our pupils and this is in direct contrast to our goal of raising standards and outcomes for our young people."

Dr Paul Evans, headteacher at Denbigh High School, said: "The significant change in grade boundary marks in both GCSE English and Maths has had a significant impact. It has denied some young people of a C grade when, had they sat the exam in the previous year, they would have attained a C grade for the mark allocation, which this year was awarded a D grade.

"We are asking the WJEC and exam regulators to investigate the grave concerns expressed by all secondary headteachers."

Cllr Mark Young, vice chair of governors at Denbigh High School, added: “To change the exam marking by 10 per cent is simply not acceptable to our students. By affecting 100 pupils’ results that will impact their life chances is unfair, unjust and untenable for the Welsh Government.

“I’d urge the education minister Kirsty Williams to step in urgently and demand a review of this cruel situation.”

Andrew Roberts, headteacher at Ysgol y Berwyn in Bala, said: "The changes have not affected us greatly but I know there are other schools in Denbighshire who have been."

As a result of the change, Prestatyn High School has been forced to relax some entry requirements to A Level - which requires C grades in English and Maths in addition to three others - on the condition pupils resit their English Exam and additional BTEC vocational courses.

Denbighshire County Council has backed criticism of WJEC. Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts, cabinet lead member for children, young people and the Welsh language has written to cabinet secretary Kirsty Williams AM, expressing his concerns that the current position by WJEC has disadvantaged a generation of learners.

Cllr Hilditch-Roberts, said: “To say that we are disappointed and frustrated with the WJEC’s changes is an understatement. This position has had a significant and detrimental impact on the students’ post-16 education. Unfortunately, the increase in the grade boundaries on those pupils who come from more vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds is greater.

“We have received a response to our concerns from Qualifications Wales, however we believe the response does not address the issues we have raised.That is why we are escalating this to the highest levels within Welsh Government and respectfully ask that an independent review is undertaken.

“We want a level playing field and more importantly, we want answers”.

A spokesperson for QW responded: "Our responsibility as the independent qualifications regulator is to maintain the national standard. We investigated these concerns when they were raised in September and published a detailed report at that time.

“After a thorough analysis of all the available evidence, we concluded that the grade boundaries were set correctly by WJEC and the national standard for GCSE English Language was consistent with last year.

“The full report is published on our website, alongside an explanatory blog. We have had, and continue to have, ongoing dialogue with those who raised concerns.”

The explanatory blog adds: "This was a deep dive into the way boundaries had been set for the summer 2018 exams. In the end, after scrutinising all the evidence carefully, we found that key decisions had been taken in the right way.

"That means that as the independent regulator, we’re confident that the standard for 2018 was consistent with last year and the grade boundaries were set properly.

"One of the concerns raised was that a school’s entry strategy might have affected results, with schools who entered candidates early being advantaged.

"We looked at this carefully and saw that regardless of whether a school entered candidates early or not, there was a similar level of variation in the results they received. We also saw that the level of variation was less this year than last year.

"Importantly, the variation in school’s results this summer is not the result of inconsistent standards being applied - we are confident that the same standard has been carried across from 2017 to 2018. However, we are concerned that schools’ entry strategies over recent years do not promote a level playing field for students.

"The action taken by Welsh Government to discourage widespread early entry has helped to substantially reduce the levels of early entry that we saw last summer.

"We welcome these developments because they are likely to lead to more stable results in future years that will help to promote fairness for all students and users of qualifications." 

Ysgol Brynhyfryd, Ysgol Glan Clwyd and St Brigid's School were approached for comment but were unable to respond.