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Students here deserved to receive fair A-level grades after a school year so badly hit by the pandemic, the chairman of Stormont’s education committee has said.

Alliance assembly member Chris Lyttle said there was “a lack of explanation, a lack of understanding and a lack of transparency” about the methodology used by CCEA to adjust student’s predicted grades.

“We are hearing of students suffering significant and shocking grade reductions,” Mr Lyttle said.

He said there was now an onus on the education minister to make clear “if and how the appeals process will address the serious issues in Northern Ireland”.

“The A-level results for children and young people across Northern Ireland are far too important for any lack of clarity to surround how they have awarded those grades,” he added.

CCEA representatives are due to appear before the education committee tomorrow.

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There was no accurate way for exams board CCEA to adjust the predicted A-level grades submitted by teachers, the president of the Secondary Students Union (SSU) has said.

“Clearly they have not got this right,” Cormac Savage said.

“People have gone from a C to a U grade. Ultimately, we don’t believe there is a way for CCEA to accurately adjust the teacher’s grades. We trust our teachers to know us well,” he says.

The CCEA adjustments seem to lack any logic, he added, and he said the SSU wants to see Northern Ireland adopt a similar approach to Scotland, where the government agreed to accept teacher estimates of scores after controversy over grading.

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Northern Ireland schools have received revised guidance for reopening with "relaxed" social distancing rules and optional face coverings in classrooms.

Education Minister Peter Weir said strict distancing between children "may be relaxed in the presence of other mitigations" such as hygiene measures.

But he said the current distancing guidance of 2m must "continue to be followed between adults" in schools.

Face coverings are "acceptable" but not "recommended for routine use".

Read more here.

First Minister Arlene Foster has said a system was needed to ensure pupils unable to sit exams received “robust and resilient” grades.

“This was always going to be a very difficult day because our children have not been in school," she said.

“It points to the fact that the best way to deal with all of this is to have our children in schools and have them sitting these exams".

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What was needed in the absence of exams, Mrs Foster said, was “a robust system, so that when people look back at the children who received their grades during Covid-19 those grades were robust and resilient”.

The first minister acknowledged there were “anomalies”.

“Those anomalies have been pointed out to me today and we have an appeal system.

“We have an executive this afternoon and I'm quite sure that we'll be discussing all of these issues,” she said.

The director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in NI says students getting results today should remember “talent can be unlocked through a wide variety of routes”.

“Regardless of whether people get the results they hoped for or not, it is important for young people to know that in the world of work, grades are put firmly in perspective,” Angela McGowan says.

Employers, she says, believe “attitude and aptitude are as important as formal qualifications when it comes to hiring”.

She adds: “It’s been a tough year for young people who’ve experienced high levels of disruption”.

The SDLP's Education Spokesperson Daniel McCrossan has described the method by which students were allocated their A-level and AS level results this year as a "heartless process".

Mr McCrossan expressed his concern and disappointment at reports from young people that their grades were "unfair and inaccurate".

He has urged Education Minister Peter Weir to ensure a "robust appeals process is in place".

In a statement, the West Tyrone assembly member said: "I am heartbroken to learn that a child was issued a U grade by CCEA, when CCEA already knew the grade was wrong and had contacted the principal to invite them to appeal the grade.

"This is a heartless process and our children deserve better than this.

"It is unacceptable and frankly disgraceful that our children have been left subject to a postcode lottery in relation to their exam results.

The chief executive of examination body CCEA said that if teacher judgement had been used on its own, results would have risen "considerably".

The principal of Limavady High School has said the process of awarding pupils predicted grades this year had been "incredibly difficult" for teachers.

"They have put hours-upon-hours of work into creating the evidence to make sure they could stand over the grades they gave," Darren Mornin said.

"There was huge integrity over every grade that was given."

As exams were cancelled, grades were awarded based on predicted grades from schools, which have been standardised by CCEA.

Mr Mornin said he was "slightly disappointed" in how CCEA had adjusted some grades that were awarded.

"Staff have put hours of work into ensuring our children get the grades they deserve.

"Unfortunately, CCEA have decided otherwise in some cases."

While results in Northern Ireland are expected to rise, there will be intense scrutiny on how many grades predicted by schools have been changed by CCEA's statistical modelling.

Dr Malachy O'Neill, provost of Ulster University's Magee Campus, says students opening results this morning should be incredibly proud and know that there are plenty of options out there for them.

Dr O'Neill encouraged students to look at all available options.

"It is a time to seek advice, reflect and be calm," he said.

For those students looking at going to university, Dr O'Neill advised they keep track of their UCAS applications and also consider clearing options if they may have not got the grades they anticipated.

"Those students who have got the grades they have anticipated, they should keep an eye on their Ucas track and they will see that they will be contacted by the university on how they should accept their places.

"There will be students in other situations who maybe didn't get the grades they wanted, absolutely don't worry.

"As a university here on their doorstep we will still be considering each and every application and we will then make a decision on whether we can offer a place in these unprecedented times.

"It may or may not be your original choice, but it will be based on the available data, based on the available results and based of course on the number of places available on a particular course."

Education Minister Peter Weir has congratulated students receiving A-level and AS level results today and acknowledged the "exceptional circumstances" in which they have been awarded.

In a statement, Mr Weir said students across Northern Ireland received A-level and AS level results that "confirm the upward trend in improvement that has been evident in our education system in recent years".

He said: "Following the cancellation of all A-level and AS level exams due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I was determined that the young people affected should be awarded the qualifications necessary to progress to the next stage of their lives.

“The results issued today will allow our young people to take their next steps forward on whichever route they have chosen.”

CCEA chief executive Justin Edwards has defended the system used by the NI exam board to adjust results this year.

In Northern Ireland, A-level grades were based on previous AS results, resit data and teachers' predicted grades for their students.

"If we were to use teacher judgment on its own, the results for this year would have risen considerably," Mr Edwards told the BBC..

Mr Edwards commended the work of teachers and principals who "committed to this process and gave us information and data in record time".

"I am eternally grateful for the education workforce of Northern Ireland."

Mr Edwards said predicted grades from teachers in previous years indicated an "over-confidence" in some pupils.

"Teachers are more likely to over-predict or be over-confident in the lower-grades, as you reach the C, D and E boundaries there is a higher degree of over- confidence, be that grammar or non-grammar schools.

"That over-confidence sometimes means that you have increased adjustment in those grades and if you have increased adjustment in those grades then sometimes people can perceive that as one school type or another."

Mr Edwards said that there will be anomalies and in those cases there is an appeal process to help deal with these.

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More than a third of estimated grades allocated by teachers to NI's A-level and AS level students were lowered in the final results.

About 28,000 pupils got their results on this morning.

Overall, 37% of estimated grades were lowered and 5.3% were raised.

The proportion of A* to A grades awarded to A-level pupils has risen by 2.3%.

In Northern Ireland, A-level grades were based on previous AS results, resit data and teachers' predicted grades for their students.

A similar system was used in England, where 36% of entries had a lower grade than teachers predicted.

In NI, 58% of this year's A-level and AS results matched the grade estimated by the pupil's teacher.

Last year, 45.8% of estimated grades provided by schools matched the student's final results.

The proportion of A* grades has risen by 1%.

A* to A grades rose by 2.3%. The overall percentage pass rate rose by 0.8%.

A Londonderry principal fears her school will be inundated with students appealing grades, which could potentially disrupt reopening plans.

"I have no idea how we find the time to do both the way we really want to," Martine Mulhern told the BBC.

Some headteachers across Northern Ireland have expressed disappointment and confusion over the A-level grades awarded to pupils this year.

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There are reports of some schools recording a large disparity between predicted grades based on AS-levels and the final grade awarded by CCEA.

The exam body has said there are some "anomalies" and schools will be contacted, but has insisted the marking system used was fair and delivered grades which students would have achieved if they sat the examination.

CCEA also said there has been a slight increase in the number of overall pass grades in NI.

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Gardaí (Irish police) last week identified 14 potential breaches of public health regulations at licensed premises.

It comes as part of Operation Navigation, in which officers have been visiting pubs throughout the country.

Gardaí say the majority of the new potential breaches, identified between 4 and 9 August related to no evidence of food being served or consumed.

“Gardaí conducting visits to licensed premises have found the vast majority to be acting in compliance with licensing laws and public health regulations,” a spokesman says.

In the Republic, alcohol can only be served with a "substantial meal" costing at least €9, with a stay limited to one hour and 45 minutes.

Since its launch on 3 July, Gardaí have identified a total of 126 potential breaches.

Londonderry principal Martine Mulhern says her results day experience has been one of “sheer disappointment”.

“I haven’t slept all night, because I am just worried about going in and facing the day," the St Cecilia’s College principal says.

Pupils in Northern Ireland are getting results based on predicted grades from schools, which have been standardised by exams body CCEA.

She says results have been “very erratic, [there is] a lack of consistency".

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“I am waking up this morning to hear that Wales have said that they are guaranteeing AS grades as a minimum grade, whereas 13% of our grades at A2 level were actually lower than their AS grades which we would have always considered to be the base line from moving on to A2,” she said.

In one case, she said, a teacher of one of her best performing subjects predicted a C grade for three students.

“One got a D, one got an E, and one got a U – how do I even begin to explain that?

“I understand these are very difficult circumstances and CCEA have worked very hard to come up with a model, but in all of that what has been lost are the children.”

Marie-Louise Connolly
BBC News NI Health Correspondent

A County Down nursing home owner says he's prepared to close the facility to visitors at any time to keep residents safe.

Mark King, who owns Manor Healthcare, says residents must come first.

"If there was any Covid at all we would have no hesitation in closing it down to visits," he said.

"We have had neither a Covid-related death or case and I do not want to risk all that for the sake of a few visits."

Image source, PA/DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS

A small number of care homes in NI have stopped visits as a precautionary measure as a number of clusters have emerged.

Esther Lutton, whose father Sam is a resident in Rathfriland Manor Nursing home, told BBC News NI that families must be kept informed as much as possible if homes are shutting down to visitors again.

"Daddy is used to seeing us. There's four of us and he is used to seeing us at least five times a week.

"Going from four or five times a week to nothing is just awful. I just hope we don't return to those days again."

Read more here.

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Education Minister Peter Weir tells Good Morning Ulster it will be impossible to prevent clusters of coronavirus breaking out in schools here when pupils return to class.

“I think there is always a risk of clusters developing in a range of settings be it schools or the wider economy.

“Can we have a risk free environment in which there is no risk of clusters occurring? No we can’t. This virus has not gone away,” Mr Weir says.

Guidance will go to schools later today ahead of the first tranche of pupils going back to school on 24 August, the minister said.

Mr Weir said it would include a “wide range of mitigation measures” and build on previous departmental guidance.

Pupils across Northern Ireland are getting their A-level results, many of them will be accessing them online, but two pupils in Limavady opened their results in an old fashioned envelope at Limavady High School this morning.

As exams were cancelled due to coronavirus, grades are based on predicted grades from schools, which have been standardised by the exams body CCEA.

Clarissa Bell and Chloe Martin bravely opened their results in front of the school this morning for BBC Radio Foyle.

"I got two distinction stars and a B in Art and Design and ICT," Ms Martin said.

"The whole end of school experience and getting results was really different this year," says Chloe.

Clarissa Bell got three As in English Literature, History and Geography. She hopes to study Geography at St Andrews University.

"The entirety of my grades were initially reliant on exams, so I was very nervous how this results day would pan out.

"I was quite nervous, especially with the uncertainty around it this year and I had no control over what part of my grades I could previously work up to.

"I do feel I could've proved myself better in the exams and I could have possibly got a better grade, but I am happy with my results."

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Face coverings are set to be "strongly encouraged" in NI schools if social distancing is not possible, but are "not generally recommended for routine use".

That is according to draft guidance for the reopening of schools seen by BBC News NI.

The final version of the detailed guidance is due to be sent to schools before the end of the week.

It follows the announcement that pupils can go return to school full-time.

On Monday, it became compulsory to wear a mask in shops and other enclosed public spaces in NI, but Education Minister Peter Weir said the executive was not recommending it for pupils.

You can read more here.

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A review of how coronavirus deaths are counted in England has reduced the UK death toll by more than 5,000, to 41,329, the government has announced.

Previously, people in England who died at any point following a positive test, regardless of cause, were counted in the figures.

But there will now be a cut-off of 28 days, providing a more accurate picture of the epidemic.

This brings England's measure in line with the other UK nations.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the count only included people who died within four weeks of a positive test.

To recap, here are some of the main developments here yesterday:

• The Department of Health recorded 29 new cases of the virus, bringing the total number of cases in NI to 6,217
• The figure for the total number of deaths remains at 557
• Health Minister Robin Swann warns NI faces one of the most dangerous points of the Covid-19 pandemic

• New methodology for counting deaths means the total number of people in the UK who have died from Covid-19 comes down from 46,706 to 41,329 - a reduction of 12%.
• In the Republic of Ireland, one further death and 40 additional cases of the virus were recorded on Wednesday
• There have now been a total of 1,774 coronavirus-related deaths in the country and 26,838 cases