The CEO of the biggest group of Midsomer Norton and Radstock schools has welcomed the government's U turn over the way it graded A levels.

At 4pm today (August 17) the government announced that A-level and GCSE students in England will be given grades estimated by their teachers, rather than by an algorithm.

It follows widespread unhappiness of results imposed on students who did not sit an exam this year, with a reported 40% of A-level grades lowered by exams regulator Ofqual, which used a formula based on schools' prior grades.

The statistical model was widely criticised for favouring private and smaller sized schools. Ofqual chair Roger Taylor and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson apologised for the "distress" caused.

The CEO of the group, Alun Williams told Nub News: " At the Midsomer Norton schools' Partnership, we are delighted that the Government has decided to now accept the centre assessed grades (CAGs), calculated by teachers for A level, BTEC and Pre U qualifications.

"We believe this is the fairest method for awarding grades to students who have worked hard throughout the year and during lockdown. They deserve to have grades that are awarded fairly given the terrible disruption they have faced.

"All schools in the partnership used a rigorous process to arrive at the CAGs, including moderating across schools in the Trust."

Alun Williams added that in the main the results from Midsomer and Radstock had actually been very strong, but this was the only fair way forward.

He said: "The moderated grades initially issued by the exam boards were actually very strong across the Trust, because of the past good performances of the schools. However, there were some pupils who were down-graded unfairly and this change of heart by the Government should rectify these errors."