Government sows fresh confusion about whether GCSE students will get final grades on Thursday

The government has sowed fresh confusion about when GCSE students will get their final grades after apparently contradicting itself on when official results will be released.

Labour accused Education Secretary Gavin Williamson of "repeated incompetence" and demanded the department provide "immediate clarity" on when marks would be released – warning that pupils would be worried about losing college and apprenticeship places.

The Department for Education said on Monday night that schools and college students will receive their teacher-predicted grades on Thursday, but also that "official results will be released to students next week".

The situation was further confusion by Mr Williamson, who on Tuesday morning said students would receive their highest grade on Thursday and then official certification next week.

The Independent contacted the Department for Education press office to clarify the situation on Tuesday morning but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

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latest fiasco comes less than 24 hours after the government was forced to U-turn on allocating grades by a controversial "algorithm" that on average penalised sixth form colleges and comprehensive schools compared to independent schools.

Under the new policy, students will be awarded either their teacher-assessed grade or the one calculated by the algorithm, whichever is higher. Mock exam results, which were previously set to be counted, will not be used.

“Only a day after the Government were dragged in to a screeching U-turn, we have seen fresh confusion on what will happen to young people in the days ahead," said Kate Green, Labour’s shadow Education Secretary.

“The repeated incompetence of the Education Secretary and this government are creating confusion and unease for a generation of young people and their families. If young people do not know all of their grades they could be concerned about losing college and apprenticeship places. This is not acceptable.