EXAM BOARD ADMITS IT LOST TEST PAPERS

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Wednesday 19th Apr 2000.

STAFF at Cirencester College have won a battle with the country's biggest examination body, Edexcel.

Three A-level music technology students, including one from Highworth, were disturbed that results came out later than the rest, and that their grades fell below expectations.

The board eventually revealed that it had lost the students' coursework which should have counted for 40 per cent of the final results.

College principal, Nigel Robbins, said: At first Edexcel said the work had been mislaid somewhere in the building and they were looking for it.

And the apology was late and grudging. But the real issue was that they had awarded grades on the written papers alone ­ they ignored the college's estimates of candidates' likely grades.

This was clearly unfair to students whose composing and mixing abilities were stronger than their musical theory.

Supported by the parents, the college, which takes a number of students from Swindon, pursued the matter through one appeal and then another before the board agreed to upgrade the work of three students.

Former Commonweal pupil Conrad Gregory, Sam Gerard from Stroud, and Stephen Banks from Cirencester have now been awarded B grades.

Conrad's mother, Anne-Lise, of Cricklade Road, Highworh said: We are so pleased the college took the case up.

Mr Robbins would like to know if other colleges or schools have had similar problems. He is on 01285 640994.

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