Anxious wait over exams marking delay

OLDHAM schools will have to wait at least an extra week to discover how their pupils have done in this year’s national tests for 11 and 14-year-olds.

Delays marking the 9.5 million papers sat by 1.2 million pupils mean schools across England will not receive the results tomorrow as expected.

Schools are supposed to tell parents their children’s marks before the end of term. Ed Balls, secretary of state for children, schools and families, has ordered an inquiry into the “unacceptable” delays.

The marking is being overseen by ETS Europe, a US-owned company which uses its computer checks to make it results more reliable.

Examiners have been working seven-day weeks in emergency centres set up in hotels in Manchester and Leeds to finish the marking.

The key stage two results (11-year-olds) will be released on July 15 to allow the majority of marking to be completed.

Key stage 3 papers (14-year-olds) will take longer to complete with as many schools as possible receiving their results by the end of next week when they break up.

However, senior examiners have also warned that the quality control is weaker this year and pupils could receive less reliable results.

And for the first time, borderline papers have not been re-marked leading statisticians to warn that national pass rates could drop.