COUNCIL bosses in York have signed up to a consortium led by two other local authorities to consider legal action over recent GCSE results.

Several secondary schools in the city have raised concerns about an “unprecedented and unexpected decline” in the percentage of pupils achieving grades between A* and C in English, with seven of the ten schools seeing “significant variations” between estimated results and actual results.

The council said two of its highest-performing schools, which had both been judged “outstanding” by Ofsted, saw a “significant” drop in their English results this year, and the consortium – headed by councils in Lewisham and Leeds – has sent a “pre-action” letter to exam regulator Ofqual and exam boards AQA and Edexcel saying the situation was “inconceivable”.

Council leader James Alexander has also written to the Education Secretary to air his concern about the results.

Coun Alexander said: “Young people are already facing an uncertain future, and with employers demanding good qualifications, absolute fairness and equality are essential.

“Ofqual can resolve this issue now by regrading the exams taken in June so pupils achieve a fair result and an independent inquiry should be undertaken now to review the process and results. The changing of the grade boundary between January and June this year is clearly unfair and inequitable, with pupils who performed at the same level awarded different grades dependent on the time of year they sat the exam.

“The failure to gain a grade C or above in English can block access to post-16 study, apprenticeships and other progression routes. The importance of getting this right cannot be underestimated with regard to future prospects for young people.”