Predicting Futures 2.0
Examining Student Experiences of Predicted Grades Amidst Coronavirus Exam Cancellations
December 2020
The Equality Act Review has been examining the issue of predicted grades, which has affected the futures of thousands of students. Since the publication of our report Predicting Futures in June 2020, we have been encouraging the government to review the predictions process, as the issuing of results in mid-August demonstrated the catastrophic impact of the government's algorithm on the widening of inequalities, jeopardising the future of equality and the economy. We have continued to press the government on this important issue, fighting for the rights of an entire generation of young people.
Our follow-up study explores the experience of students who received predicted grades during the summer of 2020. We received over 2000 responses from all over the country. Our report was exclusively featured on Sky News on 3rd December where some of our key findings were reported. These include:
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77.2% (1614) of respondents stated that they received results that were an under-estimate of their abilities.
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Of 2091 participants nearly 80% were from BAME backgrounds.
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Over half of the applicants were from households below the national average household income of £28,500.
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The study also found that almost 65% of respondents missed out on university offers.