The principal of Maldon's Plume Academy has welcomed news that all A-level, AS and GCSE students will now get the grades their teachers estimated for them.

Executive Principal Carl Wakefield spoke out on Sunday (16 August) to urge the government to take a u-turn on its position on this year's results and abandon the controversial algorithm that was used to adjust the grades calculated by teaching staff.

He told of the 'mammoth task' undertaken at the academy to ensure the grades awarded to every individual pupil were as fair as possible after exams were suddenly cancelled in March.

While there were no A-level students from Plume Academy who lost out on their university place, some were downgraded from their teachers' estimates – and Mr Wakefield was concerned that the GCSE results, due for release on Thursday, would repeat the issue on a much bigger scale.

On hearing news of the government's latest decision yesterday afternoon, Mr Wakefield said: "Common sense has prevailed – but it should never have happened in the first place.

"I knew that what we submitted in the first place was right and there has been a lot of consternation. Things have turned out well, but rightly so."

The principal also hopes an inquiry into what went wrong will be held.

Students will now get to keep the highest grade they were awarded in each subject, whether from the school or the now abandoned algorithm.

It is currently understood that GCSE students will get the grade estimated by their teachers, also known as the Centre Assessed Grade (CAG) on Thursday, with notice of the grade that the algorithm would have given them released within days of that.