England’s A-level and GCSE grades to fall to pre-Covid levels in 2023

Some warn about impact on disadvantaged students, who suffered greatest learning loss during pandemic

A-level and GCSE grades awarded in 2023 will be lower on average than this summer, the Department for Education has announced, as it confirmed plans to return grades to pre-pandemic levels.

While the DfE and Ofqual, the exam regulator for England, said some help would stay in place for those whose learning was disrupted, school leaders and experts warned that those student most badly affected by Covid were most likely to suffer from the downward adjustment.