Teachers still allowed to set exams in own subjects despite private school cheating scandal, regulator says

Authorities have resisted pressure to stop teachers setting exams in their own subjects in spite of a scandal that saw staff at some of Britain’s most expensive private schools leak questions to pupils.

Serving teachers will still be allowed to set exam papers despite the concerns about malpractice in schools, exams regulator Ofqual has announced.

But the watchdog has called on exam boards to maintain up-to-date records of all conflicts of interests for teachers who have accessed confidential assessment materials.

Teachers who have written exam papers could have their work sampled to detect malpractice, Ofqual says, and they could be kept in the dark about whether the exams they write will be used.

The decision comes after calls were made for teachers to be barred from setting exams that their pupils would sit after two private schools were caught up in an exam cheating scandal last year.

Eton College's deputy headmaster left the school last summer amid claims he leaked questions from a Pre-U economics exam following an investigation by the exam board.

And Winchester College suspended its head of history of art following allegations that he gave pupils prior information on exam questions on two papers.

Ofqual has decided today – following a consultation into the benefits and risks of teacher involvement – not to introduce a ban amid fears that quality of exams would decline.

The move was made even though four in five of respondents to Ofqual's call for evidence acknowledged that there were risks with relying on teachers to develop exams that their pupils sit.

And more than a fifth of respondents suggested that teachers should not be able to develop exams in the specification that they teach.

But Sally Collier, Chief Regulator of Ofqual, said today: “Almost universally, respondents to our call for evidence emphasised the importance of retaining a strong link between teaching and examining, and the benefit it brings to assessment design.”

The exams regulator will set out clear steps that exam boards will have to take to protect the integrity of the assessments where serving teachers are involved.

Ms Collier added: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenge of maintaining confidentiality. However, the events of summer 2017 showed how public confidence in assessments and, in turn, qualifications, can be damaged if confidential information is wrongly used.

“It is essential that those who take or otherwise rely on qualifications have upmost confidence in the outcomes.”

A statement issued by the Joint Council for Qualifications, on behalf of its member exam boards as well as school and college associations, acknowledged that malpractice “damages the integrity of the entire examination system and undermines public confidence.”

But it added there had been a “very low number of such instances” due to the professional integrity of the vast majority of assessment setters and the current system of safeguards.

“We endorse Ofqual’s position of supporting the continuing involvement of practising teachers in the examination system. Removing teachers from the process would have significant detrimental effects and expose the examinations system to unacceptable risks,” the joint statement said.