A-Level results day 'most difficult ever', says head teacher

Wales High School in Rotherham had 84% of students' A-Level results downgraded

A head teacher who saw 84% of his school's A-Level results downgraded said it was one of his "most difficult days ever as a teacher".

Pepe Di'lasio of Wales High School in Rotherham described it as a "fiasco" and welcomed the government's U-turn.

Pupils will now be given the grades estimated by their teachers, rather than by exams regulator Ofqual.

Mr Di'lasio said students had faced an "injustice".

"There's a lot of talk about politics here but at the heart of this are students whose lives have been put on hold and whose futures have been really played around with for the sake of politics over the last 72 hours," he said.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has apologised for the "distress" caused to students nationally.

It follows an uproar after about 40% of A-level results in England were downgraded by Ofqual, which used an algorithm formula based on schools' prior grades.

Last year, Wales High School achieved 50% of its A levels at grades A* to B.

Head teacher Pepe Di'lasio has welcomed the government's U-turn

One student Kieran said he was "ecstatic" the government's change had meant he could now go to the university he wanted to.

"Originally I got ACB, which meant I couldn't go to Newcastle for economics," he said.

"But now I've got AAB because of the U-turn and I'll be heading off to Newcastle next year."

Mr Di'lasio said the exam problem came "after a year like no other year".

"Last Thursday was one of my most difficult days ever as a teacher, seeing students face what they had to face and such an injustice," he said.

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