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Top private school asks teachers to exaggerate exam predictions

"One of the UK’s most prestigious private schools has a policy of asking teachers to exaggerate predicted exam results for some of its lowest-performing students on university applications to help them secure offers, documents seen by the Guardian reveal.

Sevenoaks school, which charges more than £38,000 a year for boarding pupils, prides itself on its students’ “tremendous record of achievement” in winning university places.

Guidelines set out in the minutes of internal meetings and the 2019/20 teachers’ handbook reveal that for about 20 lower-performing students who may be in danger of missing out on their preferred degree course, staff are asked to increase their predicted grades on their Ucas applications."

Read the full article from The Guadian here - https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/24/top-public-school-asks-teachers-to-exaggerate-exam-predictions?CMP=share_btn_tw

Reply 1

brionyvj

Jeez, that's terrible. Why should people with more money get a special privilege? They should be given their 'unexaggerated' predicted grade. Yikes

Reply 2

ilililili

They still have to get the grades tho. So who cares?

Nothing unexpected

Original post by JGoosey2002

They still have to get the grades tho. So who cares?

Because they may be giving an offer that could have gone to a student that actually deserved the offer. Universities generally only give a limited number of offers.

Reply 5

ilililili

Original post by Lightning720

Because they may be giving an offer that could have gone to a student that actually deserved the offer. Universities generally only give a limited number of offers.

Unis know about what percentage of people meet their offer. They will account for this. Also, you can’t just blame private schools for this. I think you’d do well to find a single school that doesn’t over predict on average

Reply 6

username5243714

Original post by brionyvj

Jeez, that's terrible. Why should people with more money get a special privilege? They should be given their 'unexaggerated' predicted grade. Yikes

100% agree. They shouldn't get special treatment just because they have more money.

Reply 7

brionyvj

Original post by Lightning720

100% agree. They shouldn't get special treatment just because they have more money.

Exactly. There are people in state schools who would have tried so much harder than others in private schools but could loose out on so many opportunities just because a teacher said 'lets bring their grade up'. It's sad