'I feel useless': A-level students in England tell of their disbelief after downgrades

Dozens of A-level students have told the Guardian of their shock and disbelief after receiving grades far lower than they were predicted to get, leaving some in limbo because they are unable to take up a place at university.

Nancy Coldicott, 17, from Leeds

Coldicott said she was in shock after failing one of her A-levels, meaning she will miss out on a place at York University. She went to Notre Dame sixth form college in Leeds and had been predicted an A in maths and Bs in psychology and further maths. While her maths result was on target, she received a D and a U respectively in the other subjects.

“The worst case scenario I was expecting was ACC,” she said. “My grade average in psychology was B but I did have a few As. In further maths I was averaging a C but got a few Bs. I think it’s disgusting that they’ve given me a fail. It’s made me feel really useless and incapable of achieving grades I know I can get.

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“All of my friends have done a grade lower than they’ve been doing the whole year. I don’t know a single person who’s not disappointed.”

Caldicott said she had not done very well in her mocks. “So there’s no point in me appealing on the basis of the mock grade because that still wouldn’t meet my offer.”

She also criticised the delay in starting the appeal process next week when clearing started on Thursday. “By the time my appeal’s dealt with it might be too late to get a place at York or somewhere else because the places will be gone. And with a U I can’t get a place at another Russell Group University.”

Joshua Reid, 19, from Woking

Reid is trying to appeal against his results to secure a place to study theology at Oxford University.

He was predicted A*AA but his results, which are ABC, fell short. “I’ve spoken to my college and am trying to appeal,” said Reid who studied religious studies, politics and philosophy at A-level.

“Oxford have lowered the offer from AAA to AAB but if the result of the appeal doesn’t come through by September then I will have to apply again. I don’t understand the grading as philosophy is my best subject but I’ve been given a C. I even came out top of the class.”

Reid thinks the process has been a shambles and is concerned that his place at Oxford is “time-limited”. “It’s really stressful to appeal as no one seems to have any idea how long it’s going to take,” he said.

“The government has handled the situation horrifically,” he added. “The way they’ve chopped and changed our results at the last minute is unfair.”

Amelia Pollard-Gunnery, 17, from Chelmsford

Pollard-Gunnery, who was predicted to get ABBC, feels that her results of BCCD are not a real indication of what she could have achieved had she sat her exams. “The whole thing has been chaotic and the government is to blame,” she said.

“I go to a comprehensive which has a low school attainment level and is not in the nicest of areas,” she added. “I feel that the government has already assumed that because of these factors it’s unlikely that I would do as well as someone who might go to a private school in a wealthy area.”

Pollard-Gunnery, who studied sociology, English, art and a voluntary extended project qualification at St John Payne Catholic school, said she is now “in limbo” about her place to study law at the University of East Anglia.

She said: “Around 90% of the people in my year group have had their marks downgraded. There’s no sense in what the government has done. It’s like they offered us an olive branch from a tree that’s already dead.”

Niamh Tillings, 18, from Portsmouth

Melanie Tillings from Portsmouth said her daughter Niamh’s disappointing results seemed to confirm that students in deprived areas were among the worst affected by the results fiasco.

Related: Downgraded A-level students urged to join possible legal action

Niamh, who was given a contextual offer from Bristol because Portsmouth is considered a low attaining area, has lost her place to study politics and quantitative research skills at the university.

Tillings said: “She’s feeling absolutely gutted. She’s confusingly received an A for her weakest subject, sociology, and Cs for her strongest subjects, politics and economics. Although the teachers are not allowed to say what grades they gave her they have said these results are well below [what was expected].”

She added: “Bristol have confirmed they can do nothing for her. This seemingly fits with disadvantaged areas having results downgraded more heavily. Her future plans are totally smashed. The rug has been pulled out from under this generation.”

Miles Burford, 18, from Norfolk

Burford missed out on a place to study sport and exercise psychology at Loughborough University despite playing for the local Fakenham Town first team.

Burford said: I was shocked by the results. They do not represent my true ability. I’m so grateful to have a back-up place at Lincoln.”

His mother, Kylie Burford, added: “We are completely devastated. My son won a Young Black Gifted Award for Academic Achievement with his GCSE results. His centre-assessed grades have been marked down considerably by Ofqual.”

Burford had been predicted an A in PE, a B or an A in psychology and a C in history but got a C, a D and a U. Kylie Burford added: “His school, Notre Dame High in Norwich, told me this morning they have received the lowest set of results in their history this year. Miles was due to play football for Loughborough, and was considered good enough to join their international Futsal team and have the opportunity to represent the country – those opportunities have been whipped away from him by an algorithm.”