Second head rolls over exams fiasco: Boris Johnson fires education chief Jonathan Slater 24 hours after Ofqual boss Sally Collier 'stepped down' - but cheerful Gavin Williamson stays as PM blames 'mutant algorithm' for cock-up

  • Jonathan Slater will step down on September 1, it was announced today
  • It was revealed yesterday that Sally Collier was resigning as head of Ofqual
  • Gavin Williamson today insisted that he had not forced Ms Collier to resign
  • He said exams chaos due to 'unprecedented' situation caused by coronavirusBoris Johnson fired the top civil servant at the Department for Education today saying 'fresh official leadership' was needed after the A-Level and GCSE exam fiasco. 
    Jonathan Slater has been effectively removed from his post and will leave on September 1, it was announced today, 24 hours after Ofqual chief executive Sally Collier resigned from her post in the wake of the grading U-turn.
    It means that of the people in the top positions overseeing the grading for exams that were not sat because of coronavirus, only Education Secretary Gavin Williamson remains in his post despite numerous calls for him to go.
    Boris Johnson has resisted pressure to get rid of his bumbling minister, with suggestions that the former chief whip, who worked on his leadership election campaign, 'knows where the bodies are buried'. 
    In a three-paragraph statement posted online today, a Cabinet Office spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister has concluded that there is a need for fresh official leadership at the Department for Education. 
    'Jonathan Slater has therefore agreed that he will stand down on September 1, in advance of the end of his tenure in Spring 2021.
    'Susan Acland-Hood, currently interim second permanent secretary, will take over as Acting Permanent Secretary. A permanent successor to replace Jonathan Slater will be appointed in the coming weeks.' 
    Mr Slater is the latest senior civil servant to be ousted by the Government under Mr Johnson.
    Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill is also stepping down, as is Simon McDonald at the Foreign Office. And Philip Rutnam stepped down amid a bullying row with Priti Patel in February.
    Meanwhile Boris Johnson this afternoon blamed the exam chaos on a 'mutant algorithm' used to calculate grades, which was found to bias against over-achieving state pupils. 
    Mr Johnson had previously claimed that the algorithm-based grades would be 'robust' and 'dependable'. 
    Shadow education secretary Kate Green said: 'Under this Government civil servants have time and time again taken the fall for the incompetence and failures of Ministers.
    Jonathan Slater will step down on September 1, it was announced today, the day after Ofqual chief executive Sally Collier resigned from her post int he wake of the grading U-turn
    Jonathan Slater will step down on September 1, it was announced today, the day after Ofqual chief executive Sally Collier resigned from her post int he wake of the grading U-turn
    Gavin Williamson today denied that he had forced Sally Collier to quit as the head of exam regulator Ofqual
    Boris Johnson this afternoon blamed the exam chaos on a 'mutant algorithm' used to calculate grades, which was found to bias against over-achieving state pupils
    Boris Johnson this afternoon blamed the exam chaos on a 'mutant algorithm' used to calculate grades, which was found to bias against over-achieving state pupils

    A timeline of exam failure 

    March 18: Schools are closed and exams cancelled as the UK grinds to a halt under the coronavirus lockdown
    March 20: Ministers say Ofqual and exam boards will work out a system for judging grades amid fears from parents that their children could lose out.
    July 11: MPs on the Education Committee warn that the calculated grades system could unfairly punish disadvantaged and minority students because of the way it is calculated.
    August 4: Scottish Higher results are released, with around 100,000 grades - a quarter of the total - marked down under a plan put in place by Nicola Sturgeon's SNP administration
    August 11: The Scottish Education Minister John Swinney U-turns under pressure from Tories and Labour and says predicted grades will be used instead of the algorithm.
    August 11: Ministers in England decide that pupils will be able to appeal against their grades, in some cases using mock exam performance, just two days before the English results are released.
    August 13: Almost 40 per cent of A-Level results in England are downgraded by Ofqual's algorithm, sparking widespread fury and demands for a U-turn.
    August 15: Ministers say that it will fund appeals against the marks handed out, in a bid to quell to anger.
    August 15: Ofqual withdrawals its appeal criteria just hours after publishing it, pending a review.
    August 17: Mr Williamson announces that A-Levels and GCSEs due to be unveiled on Thursday will be calculated using predicted grades, amid calls for his resignation. 
    August 19: Mr Williamson publicly backs Ofqual after previously refusing to do so.
    August 25: Ofqual chief regulator Sally Collier resigns
    August 26: Jonathan Slater is effectively fired by the Prime Minister 'Parents will be looking on in dismay at a government in complete chaos just a matter of days before children will return to schools.
    'Leadership requires a sense of responsibility and a willingness to be held accountable, qualities this Prime Minister and his ministers utterly lack.'
    Mr Williamson today insisted he did not force the boss of exam regulator Ms Collier to quit in the wake of the Government's A-level and GCSE results debacle. 
    She announced her resignation yesterday and Mr Williamson has denied that he made her carry the can for the exam chaos. 
    Meanwhile, the Education Secretary suggested he had never considered quitting his own role despite widespread calls for him to step down over his handling of the row. 
    Ofqual was heavily criticised for its handling of the process for awarding grades after exams were cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis. 
    The regulator used a controversial algorithm to calculate student grades but it was ditched after it emerged that 40 per cent of grades had been downgraded below teacher estimates. 
    Mr Williamson had initially backed using the algorithm, describing the grading system as 'robust'. 
    But student and parent anger forced the Government to change tack as grades were re-awarded based on teacher predictions. 
    The Education Secretary initially blamed Ofqual for the fiasco but later insisted he had full confidence in the regulator and its leadership. 
    Mr Williamson today insisted he had not asked Ms Collier to quit as he said the results chaos was due to the 'unprecedented' situation caused by coronavirus.
    'No, this was a decision that Sally made, an incredibly dedicated and committed public servant, and in discussions with the Ofqual board, which, as you're aware, is a non-ministerial government department,' he told BBC's Breakfast.
    'That was a decision between them.'
    Mr Williamson remains under pressure to quit over his handling of the exams debacle and a Government U-turn on the wearing of face masks in schools in England has also prompted further scrutiny of his position. 
    But the Education Secretary today indicated he had not considered resigning.
    He told Times Radio: 'My focus has been working with Ofqual to make sure we get those examination results out and making sure that we have everything in place to be able to welcome young people back into school over the next few weeks.
    'That's where the focus is, that's what I think people expect us to be doing, that's what people will expect us to be delivering.'
    The Times reported today that Ms Collier could make a return to the civil service in a role at the Cabinet Office. 
    Ms Collier announced her resignation fro Ofqual yesterday amid reports she could return to a civil service role at the Cabinet Office
    Ms Collier announced her resignation fro Ofqual yesterday amid reports she could return to a civil service role at the Cabinet Office
    She was previously in charge of government procurement as chief executive of the Crown Commercial Service. 
    In a statement released yesterday afternoon Ofqual said Ms Collier, who had not worked in education previously, 'has decided that the next stage of the awarding process would be better overseen by new leadership'.
    'As a result, the Ofqual Board has asked Dame Glenys Stacey to assume a temporary leadership role as acting Chief Regulator until December 2020, having previously served as Chief Regulator between 2011 and 2016,' it added.
    'She will be supported by a new committee of the Ofqual board, which will include one or more of the current Ofsted board members. This new committee will be chaired by Amanda Spielman and will oversee the work of Ofqual to the end of the year.'

    Did Gavin's 'sinister' photo-call include a warning to his enemies?

    Tory MPs believe Gavin Williamson was sending a warning to his enemies when he posed for photographs in his office with a whip on his desk after announcing the A-level results U-turn.  
    Conservative backbenchers believe the whip was 'not there by chance' when Mr Williamson took part in the photocall. 
    They believe it was likely a reminder to MPs and Boris Johnson that as a former chief whip he knows 'where the bodies are buried' and that it would be unwise to criticise or sack him. 
    Mr Williamson served as chief whip for Theresa May's government from July 2016 to November 2017 when he was tasked with enforcing party discipline and as a result he is likely to know the details of colleagues' past indiscretions. 
    Gavin Williamson posed for photographs in his Department for Education office yesterday after announcing the A-level results U-turn
    Gavin Williamson posed for photographs in his Department for Education office yesterday after announcing the A-level results U-turn
    The presence of the whip in the photographs - as well as a small red book placed on top of it - sparked widespread comment on social media. 
    Chief whips are said to keep small black books, similar to the red one pictured, which they fill with information to be used to put pressure on MPs who may be thinking about rebelling. 
    Tory MPs believe the inclusion of the whip - and the red book - was 'not done by accident'.
    One Conservative backbencher told MailOnline: 'Why was there a picture with a whip on the desk? That was not done by accident. 
    'Is that a reminder to Boris that he knows where the bodies are buried? I don't know, but it is not going to have been an accident.' 

    Furious Tory MPs label the Government an 'utter s***show' and demand it 'get a grip' after its eleventh hour U-turn on face masks in schools as Boris Johnson issues a fresh plea to parents to send their children back to classrooms next week

    Boris Johnson is facing an increasingly bitter backlash from Tory MPs over the Government's decision to perform a humiliating U-turn over pupils wearing face masks in schools. 
    Conservative backbenchers have accused ministers of presiding over an 'utter s***show' as they warned Downing Street it needs to 'get a grip' of its scientific advisers because the public is 'sick and tired' of changing advice. 
    Tory MPs claimed the Government increasingly seemed to be making up policy 'on the hoof' and that such an approach could not be allowed to continue. 
    The growing discontent came as Mr Johnson defended the U-turn and issued a fresh plea to parents to send their children back to classrooms in England next week. 
    He insisted 'schools are safe' and warned that pupils had 'lost too much time' in the classroom already.  
    The Government last night announced that face masks will be compulsory in the communal areas of secondary schools in parts of England which are subject to local lockdowns. 
    A decision on whether to wear masks in non-lockdown area schools will be left to individual head teachers.  
    The change came after days of ministers and Government experts insisting there were no plans to change the guidance in England which had said masks were not necessary if all other hygiene measures were adhered to.  
    But Mr Johnson's hand appeared to be forced after Nicola Sturgeon said secondary school pupils in Scotland will be required to wear a mask when travelling between lessons. 
    Speaking during a visit to a school in Leicestershire today, Mr Johnson said pupils and staff wearing masks in communal spaces in hotspot areas 'does make sense'.     
    He also appeared to concede that the UK Government had shifted because of action taken in Scotland where schools have been back for two weeks.     
    Teachers have warned the masks decision could lead to 'mayhem' amid fears of increased bullying, of pupils wearing dirty reused masks and of it being harder to challenge bad behaviour in corridors because it may be unclear which children are responsible. 
    Teachers also said they had been left 'dizzy from all of the U-turns that have happened this summer'. 
    Meanwhile, a school leaders' union immediately challenged the Government's approach as it said it will be telling all of its members, regardless of whether they are subject to local lockdown, to ask pupils and staff to wear face coverings in communal spaces.
    The eleventh-hour change in tack followed new advice from the World Health Organisation at the weekend.  
    Boris Johnson, pictured at a school in Leicestershire today, has defended the Government's U-turn on pupils wearing face masks amid a growing Tory MP backlash
    Boris Johnson, pictured at a school in Leicestershire today, has defended the Government's U-turn on pupils wearing face masks amid a growing Tory MP backlash
    Teachers have told Mr Johnson that they have been left 'dizzy from all of the U-turns that have happened this summer'
    Teachers have told Mr Johnson that they have been left 'dizzy from all of the U-turns that have happened this summer'The updated guidance for schools states that in local lockdown areas face coverings should be worn by staff and students when they are moving between lessons and in communal areas from September 1.
    Should new local restrictions be imposed, schools will need to communicate 'quickly and clearly' the new arrangements to staff, parents and pupils.
    It states schools and colleges in non-lockdown areas will have the discretion to require face coverings in circumstances where social distancing cannot be safely managed - such as when the layout of a school makes it difficult to do so.
    However, the wearing of masks will not be required in the classroom. 
    The decision to change the advice came after the WHO recommended children over 12 wear coverings where social distancing is difficult. 
    It said rules should be based on whether there is widespread transmission of coronavirus in the community. 
    Mr Johnson defended the U-turn as he said wearing face covering in schools in 'hotspot' areas 'probably does make sense'. 
    'On the issue of face coverings what you have got is the WHO saying that face coverings should be used by over-12s and what we are saying is if you are in a school where there is a hotspot then it probably does make sense in confined areas outside the classroom to use a face covering in the covering and elsewhere,' he said. 
    'As they discovered in Scotland where they had the pupils in for at least a couple of weeks now, what they found is that when it was raining outside, people were coming in and they were congregating in the corridors and the move to face coverings they thought was sensible.
    'What we are doing, following what the WHO have said, is we are saying if you are in a hotspot area where there is a higher risk of transmission then face coverings in those types of areas outside the classroom.
    'But not inside the classroom because that is clearly nonsensical, you can't teach with face coverings and you can't expect people to learn with face coverings.
    'The most important thing is just wash your hands.'
    Mr Johnson today insisted that 'school is safe' and pupils 'must get back into' the classroom. 
    'They have lost too much time out of school and I hope they will (return), and I'm sure they will,' he said. 
    Education Secretary Gavin Williamson had earlier echoed a similar defence of the U-turn as he said ministers have 'constantly said that this is something that stays under review at all stages'. 
    Asked about public confidence in the Government following the latest change in policy, the Education Secretary told LBC: 'At every stage, what we're focused on is making sure all children return back to school in September.
    'We don't want to be seeing children... wearing masks in schools up and down the country, but in certain areas where it's necessary, where we're in local lockdown.
    'This has been typical at every stage of this crisis that we have taken a cautious and careful approach welcoming children back to schools. I think that's what people expect and that's what we're doing in this instance.'    

    Tory MPs furious after latest Government U-turn

    Tory MPs have reacted with fury to the Government's latest coronavirus crisis U-turn as they accused ministers of presiding over an 'utter s***show'.
    Conservative backbenchers have blasted the Government for failing to take the decision on face masks in schools earlier as they warned confidence in Tory Party is being damaged.  
    One senior Tory MP told The Times: 'It's an utter, utter s***show. 
    'It's beyond comprehension why this wasn't done earlier. It's mess after mess, U-turn after U-turn. Parents and teachers will lose confidence in the party.'
    Conservative MP Huw Merriman criticised the decision and said requiring pupils to wear masks is a 'slippery slope'.
    He said politicians must stop 'hiding behind the science' and added: 'My concern is that we just keep making this up as we go along. So, the WHO is not explicit about schools at all, it just states that they should reflect the national picture.
    'Why is it that we're changing it right now when we haven't been talking about this before?'
    Tory MP Marcus Fysh described the decision to require pupils to wear masks as 'utterly wrong'.  
    The face masks U-turn comes a matter of days after Mr Williamson faced calls to resign over his handling of the A-level and GCSE results debacle. 
    It is the latest in a long line of Government missteps during the coronavirus pandemic, with Tory MPs increasingly angry at ministers. 
    One senior Tory MP told The Times: 'It's an utter, utter s***show. 
    'It's beyond comprehension why this wasn't done earlier. It's mess after mess, U-turn after U-turn. Parents and teachers will lose confidence in the party.'
    Conservative MP Huw Merriman criticised the decision and said requiring pupils to wear masks is a 'slippery slope' as he urged ministers to 'get a grip of our scientists'. 
    He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I don't think it's the right decision because I think we need to send the message out that our schools are safe with the measures that they've been taking and will be taking.
    'I just absolutely fundamentally feel that young people just need to be able to get on with their education free of any encumbrance.
    'Anything that sends a message out that it's not safe in the corridor means that it can't be safe in the classroom and we're on a slippery slope.' 
    Mr Merriman said politicians must stop 'hiding behind the science' and added: 'My concern is that we just keep making this up as we go along. So, the WHO (World Health Organisation) is not explicit about schools at all, it just states that they should reflect the national picture.
    'Why is it that we're changing it right now when we haven't been talking about this before?'
    He added: 'I think the Government needs to get a grip of our scientists. I'm sick and tired, and I think many people in the public are sick and tired, the science just changes.' 
    Charles Walker, vice chair of the Conservative 1922 Committee of backbenchers, told Times Radio he was 'disappointed' by the decision as he accused ministers of making up policy 'on the hoof'. 
    'What we are in now are the biggest of policy issues, restricting people's liberties and freedoms with very little science attached to it... let's debate these issues on the floor of the House of Commons,' he said. 
    'We cannot continue to have government by edict, this has been going on for six months.'
    Mr Walker added: 'The Government just cannot make this stuff up now on the hoof... saying one thing on Monday, changing its mind on Tuesday, something different presented on Wednesday. It's just not acceptable.'
    Tory MP Marcus Fysh described the decision to require pupils to wear masks as 'utterly wrong'. 
    He said: 'The country should be getting back to normal, not pandering to this scientifically illiterate guff.'
    Teachers have expressed concerns about how the new rules will work and what they will mean for pupils. 
    Katherine Birbalsingh, head of the Michaela Community School in Wembley, north-west London, tweeted that 'masks mean mayhem'. 
     '[Pupils] will be pulling at each other's masks, repositioning their own masks constantly, bullying each other over choice of mask etc,' she predicted.  
    'Add that to rise in chatter because teachers will not be able to hold kids to account for talking.  
    'Kids will wear dirty reused masks. They will share masks. They will spit in each other masks and lick them for a joke.'

    Tory MPs furious after latest Government U-turn

    Tory MPs have reacted with fury to the Government's latest coronavirus crisis U-turn as they accused ministers of presiding over an 'utter s***show'.
    Conservative backbenchers have blasted the Government for failing to take the decision on face masks in schools earlier as they warned confidence in Tory Party is being damaged.  
    One senior Tory MP told The Times: 'It's an utter, utter s***show. 
    'It's beyond comprehension why this wasn't done earlier. It's mess after mess, U-turn after U-turn. Parents and teachers will lose confidence in the party.'
    Conservative MP Huw Merriman criticised the decision and said requiring pupils to wear masks is a 'slippery slope'.
    He said politicians must stop 'hiding behind the science' and added: 'My concern is that we just keep making this up as we go along. So, the WHO is not explicit about schools at all, it just states that they should reflect the national picture.
    'Why is it that we're changing it right now when we haven't been talking about this before?'
    Tory MP Marcus Fysh described the decision to require pupils to wear masks as 'utterly wrong'.  

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