The head of England’s exam regulator, Sally Collier, has resigned over the exams fiasco that has engulfed schools and universities.
Collier, the chief regulator and Ofqual chief executive, oversaw the development of the flawed exams algorithm that was scrapped after it downgraded nearly 40% of A-level results.
It came after ministers insisted on avoiding grade inflation.
She had been conspicuous by her absence since the U-turn on results last week, with Ofqual’s chair, Roger Taylor, issuing a public apology instead.
Ofqual said she would be replaced temporarily by her predecessor Dame Glenys Stacey.
Collier’s resignation comes days after the publication of millions of GCSE results and a day after Gavin Williamson insisted Ofqual had his “full confidence”. He had previously refused to back Collier.
The education secretary also admitted that Ofqual was responsible for the climbdown for which he originally took credit.
The government was forced to apologise for the fiasco that resulted in disadvantaged students being worst hit by downgrades, while private schools pupils’ results were boosted under the algorithm.
An Ofqual source said: “What Sally (Collier) has been absolutely focused on doing is sorting out A-levels and dealing with the after effects of that, and preparing for GCSEs.”
Meanwhile  Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday said he was “really pleased” by the work done to prepare schools for reopening next week, a test of his government after it failed to get children back to class earlier this year.
Johnson, whose Conservative government has come under fire for how it has tackled education during the coronavirus crisis, said it was “crucial” for all children to return to school and that he would look at medical evidence to see whether he should change the government’s advice on wearing face coverings.
He is under pressure to show he can preside over a full-time return to school after the grades debacle.
“I’m really pleased by the work that teachers, schools, parents, pupils have done to get ready,” Johnson said of the reopening of schools during a visit in southwest England.
Questioned over whether England would have to change its policy on not advising some children to wear face coverings at school as Scotland has, Johnson said: “You know, we’ll look at the changing medical evidence as we go on.
“If we need to change the advice, then of course we will.”
Johnson has been criticised for his government’s wider response to the pandemic, accused by opposition parties and medics for being too slow to lock down, too quick to ease restrictions and for failing to test enough people.