With all the noise Labour is making over today’s exam results, Guido was surprised to see the usual teaching unions have not been plastered across the airwaves today. The largest teaching union, the NEU, has sent just three tweets so far – and it turns out they are attempting to perform a screeching U-turn.

The exam body Ofqual originally consulted widely on the way it would grade this year’s students without exams. The enormous number of consultation responses included 78 responses identifying as a ‘teacher representative group or union’. And the system the consultation shaped received approval from unions, even ASCL and the NEU…

In April the NEU, praised Ofqual’s proposed system, stating that “We are pleased that the Department for Education and Ofqual both recognise the professionalism of teachers… In any qualification system, but particularly one created in these circumstances, it helps with consistency and fairness to have moderation and oversight from the regulator.”

Yesterday evening the General Secretary of the ASCL union, Geoff Barton, was strident in supporting the system as devised by the original consultation, telling Channel 4 News “I’m not convinced we needed any new measures in England”. Interesting to see these unions now try to avoid the heat for a system they helped create…