Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM

A-level students in Codsall are celebrating the education secretary's u-turn in the row over grades.

It's been announced that teachers' assessments for grades will hold in England, rather than the result of an algorithm which has seen some downgrading of awards.

Earlier today, unhappy students had marched on Gavin Williamson's constituency office, demanding that teachers' grading be used.

Of course, their protest wasn't the deciding factor. But students with placards pounding the streets and gathering outside the site clearly wasn't a good look for the South Staffordshire MP.

Some had lost out on university places, including Will who wanted to study medicine but told me he no longer knew what his future held.

Others were there in solidarity - downgraded but still going to university - yet furious over the impact on their classmates.

The chant ringing out today was "trust our teachers". It seems to have been heard.

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Image source, Google

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Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

It is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault in a light fitting, West Midlands Fire Service tweeted. , external

Championship club Stoke City sign former Chelsea and Nigeria midfielder John Mikel Obi.

They have been celebrating with neighbours after Covid-19 hits plans for a more traditional setting.

A Worcestershire student said she'd been left in the "worst sort of limbo" after her A-level results were downgraded.

Newsnight's policy editor, Lewis Goodall, has been speaking to students affected , externalby the exam grades issue. Among them was Georgina, who attended a comprehensive school near Worcester.

She said the place she had been offered at the University of Nottingham was now on hold, as her predicted grades of AAB had been dropped to BBC.

Places at two other universities had also been withdrawn.

"I'm so stressed," she told Lewis. "It's made me feel quite ill.

"Nobody knows what's happening. It's just the worst sort of limbo."

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Dozens of students have gathered outside the Staffordshire constituency office of Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.

Pupils from Codsall Community High School acted after A-level results were downgraded from teacher-awarded marks when the exams regulator used an algorithm based on schools' previous results.

These are some images from the protest...

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Police say inquiries into the death of one-year-old Elaina Rose Aziz are continuing.

Students marching on the Education Secretary's constituency office say they're protesting to achieve "justice for students all over the country".

Image source, PA Media

Jessica Moody, one of the organisers from Codsall Community High School, said: "We want the government to trust the teachers."

There's been some variation on teacher-assessed grades. About 40% of A-level results have been downgraded after the exams regulator Ofqual used an algorithm based on schools' previous results.

"We want [Gavin Williamson] to be aware that we're not happy with grades across the country. We want him to think about how this is going to affect future years."

A march by A-level students is under way in Codsall, Staffordshire.

The teenagers from the town's Community High School headed to the constituency office of Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.

It comes after covid-19 disrupted students' final year and exams, meaning grades could not be issued in the normal way.

Students are protesting over the government's working out of marks, with pressure mounting on ministers to let teacher-assessed grades stand in England.

The students from Codsall chanted "trust our teachers" and "you're having a laugh, Gav".

Some members of the public gathered to cheer the group, with one shouting: "Go on kids, show them."

A Department for Education spokesman said hundreds of thousands of students had received a calculated grade to "enable them to progress" and that the department aimed "to build as much fairness into the appeals system as possible".

A school in the Education Secretary's constituency says it will appeal all A-level results.

Students from Codsall Community High School are marching to the offices of Gavin Williamson to bring that message.

They're protesting over the way the government has awarded some grades after exams were not taken due to coronavirus.

Headteacher Alun Harding said the students wanted to protest about the "significant level of disappointment and frustration they feel".

He said: "The system has been so poorly thought-through - the impact on [the students'] lives going forward is going to be enormous and they want to vent their frustration.

"We'd predicted very, very strong A-level results this year and the algorithm has left us with a negative score for the overall year group - I don't feel that it recognises the significant hard work the students put into that."

The government has defended the approach it used to determine grades.

A 15-year-old boy remains in hospital with serious injuries after being stabbed in Birmingham on Sunday.

He was taken into an alleyway by a group of people and stabbed several times, police said.

Emergency services were called to Westley Road, Acocks Green, just before 15:30.

The teenager is accused over injuries including a woman's shattered pelvis.

Riki Wessels hits 88 out of Worcestershire's 219 all out against his former county Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM

A report into the impact of coronavirus on the West Midlands' black, Asian and ethnic minority communities shows they were hit hardest.

The inquiry was led by Labour's Hodge Hill MP Liam Byrne. It found that black men and women were four times more likely to die from Covid-19 than white people in the region.

A task force set up as part of the investigation has made 35 recommendations, and calls for a judge-led independent inquiry, and ethnicity to be included on death records.

A yellow warning for thunderstorms across the West Midlands remains in place until 21:00., external

Image source, Met office

The Environment Agency has issued a number of flood alerts, external for areas around Birmingham.

Torrential downpours could lead to flash flooding, the group warns.

Nicola Maxey, a spokeswoman for the Met Office, said: "If you're caught by a thunderstorm, you're likely to see 20mm-40mm (0.8in-1.6in) of rain within the hour, and some areas could see 50mm-70mm (2in-2.8in) within three to four hours."

A teenage boy suffered serious injuries when he was stabbed in Birmingham on Sunday afternoon.

The ambulance service said it was called to Westly Road in Acocks Green shortly before 15:15.

The boy was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital for further treatment.