THE principal at York College has welcomed the Government’s decision to base exam results on grades from teachers this year.

Lee Probert, the college’s chief executive and principal, said: “Ultimately teachers are going to be asked to use their best professional judgement to give their students a grade in the summer and I think, in the circumstances, it’s the best option.

“There’s more good than bad in this announcement for both teachers and students.”

England’s exams regulator Ofqual has instructed teachers to provide grades for pupils which reflect “fair, objective and carefully considered” judgments of the results they believe each student would have been most likely to achieve if the exams had gone ahead.

Exam boards will be contacting schools and colleges after Easter to ask them to submit their judgments by a deadline that will be no earlier than May 29.

Schools must not share these grades with students and parents until final results are issued. It is hoped pupils will receive their grades before the pre-planned results days in August.

Schools across the UK closed their doors to the majority of students a fortnight ago. Pupils were told that teacher assessments would help grade their GCSE, AS levels and A-levels.

Ofqual chief regulator Sally Collier said: “School or college-based assessment already has an important role in many GCSEs, AS and A-levels, and in extraordinary circumstances such as these schools and colleges are best-placed to judge the likely performance of their students at the end of the course. We have worked closely with the teaching profession to ensure that what we are asking is both appropriate and manageable, so that everyone can have confidence in the approach.”

Mr Probert said it remains vitally important that all students stay focused in the weeks and months ahead. He said they should continue to join in with online tuition - this is as much about student welfare as it is about learning, as it’s important students don’t feel isolated.

Mr Probert also said it’s important to continue with study for exam students if they are planning to go on to study at A-level or university.