THE head teacher of an independent school in York has hit out at an exam regulator’s report which claimed schools were launching tactical appeals against bad results.

Jonathan Taylor, the head of Bootham School, said appeals were being made “because we simply do not have confidence in the system”.

He said errors in marking exams had, at times, been “disgraceful”.

Ofqual’s report had warned the process of challenging GCSE and A-Level grades would be redesigned and that head teachers saw the current appeal system as “a one-way bet”.

Mr Taylor, whose criticisms were echoed by the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “If these appeals were not justified, they would not result in grades being changed – we have a duty to our pupils if we think they have been given the wrong grade.”