West College Notts in Mansfield raised concerns after incorrectly marked GCSE English papers led to students receiving lower grades. A review revealed marking errors, prompting the school to contact the exam regulator Ofqual and their MP.
An exam board has been criticised over its accuracy and fairness after a Nottinghamshire school found that a number of their pupils' papers were incorrectly marked. Vision West Nottinghamshire College , in Mansfield , raised concerns after several of its learners failed to achieve the minimum GCSE English target grade in 2025.
Teachers at the school were 'shocked' by the results and requested a marking review of 41 papers, which led to 22 pupils receiving higher grades, including two who moved from a grade 3, a fail, to a grade 5, which is considered a pass. The school met with representatives from Pearson, the examination board, and found that it was down to 'human error,' and was offered an apology. Pearson was requested to carry out a review of the marking at West College Notts as 1,400 GCSE English exams were submitted in 2025. The exam board denied that there was a pattern, yet the school was left concerned that this could be a wider issue, leading them to contact the examination regulator, Ofqual , and Mansfield MP Steve Yemm , who raised the issue in parliament this week. Diane Booth, vice-principal for curriculum and quality at West Nottinghamshire College , said: “On GCSE results day last summer, many of our teachers were shocked that more students had not achieved their minimum target grade for GCSE English. 'Achieving a higher grade is essential for all learners’ progression, but more importantly for their confidence and motivation to continue to study. 'Given the number of grades that changed, we were concerned that other learners might also have performed better than the grade they were awarded. “We requested that Pearson checked the marking at our college to see if any more grades could have been affected, given that we had 1,400 GCSE English exam entries last summer. “Following a review, Pearson subsequently advised that no pattern was identified in the marking of the papers that were reviewed and changed. 'They went on to say that a large number of examiners marked papers across our college. 'However, we remain concerned that this could potentially be more widespread and shared our concerns with Ofqual and our local MP.' The MP raised the matter in Parliament, urging the exam board to ensure that all students receive the marks they deserve. The Labour MP said: “Students from West Notts College worked incredibly hard for their qualifications and they deserve confidence that their results have been assessed fairly.' In response to the situation at the Mansfield school, Pearson, the examination board, said: “Following the June 2025 GCSE examination series, Pearson Edexcel carried out a review of marking for West Notts College. 'After the college raised concerns about the number of grade changes from the review, we carried out detailed quality assurance checks, which found no wider issues with the marking of students’ exams across its cohort of 1,418 English entries. 'We understand that this may be concerning for students and we would like to reassure them that they can have full confidence in the results they have received. 'All our exams are marked by trained examiners and go through multiple layers of checking and senior oversight to ensure marking is fair and consistent for every student. 'We are in contact with West Notts College and we will continue to work with them to address the concerns they have raised.” The regulator confirmed that they were aware of the issue, however, its spokesperson has refused to comment on the specific case. An Ofqual spokesperson said: “Ofqual takes concerns about the marking review process very seriously. It is one of the key checks and balances in the exam system. 'Ofqual’s regulation requires boards to review marking when asked. “While we cannot comment on private discussions or correspondence, Ofqual is committed to transparency and publishes an annual report about reviews of marking and moderation for GCSE, AS and A level.'
GCSE Exam Board Marking Errors Ofqual Education Results
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