PARENTS in East Lancashire say they are worried their children's A-level results, which come out tomorrow, will be unfairly downgraded.

This comes as Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, apologised after backlash from students unhappy with their grades when they came out last week.

After an outcry, students in Scotland had their grades upgraded and universities are being told to leave places open for those appealing.

In England grades will be based on coursework, mock exams and teachers' predicted grades after the coronavirus lockdown led to all A-level and GCSE exams being cancelled.

These grades are then standardised by the exam board.

Akeel Ahmed from Blackburn, whose son is getting his results this week, said: “We are hoping that his hard work has paid off and the exam boards realise that none of this was the students' fault.

“He is pretty confident as he did well in the mock exams. But you never know with these things. He needs the right grades to get into university and I can imagine a lot of students being worried.”

“There needs to be a good way for them to appeal and correct their grades if necessary.”

Another parent from Blackburn, Saima Zeb said: “If they are based on mocks then some students do not study the same way for actual exams."

Another Blackburn parent, whose daughter was predicted straight As for A-level, said: “We are a bit worried as she needs straight As to be accepted on her course.

“There is no other way around this and I think if she had sat the exam she would be very confident of getting them. With what we have heard in the past two months we are not so sure.

“Students have done their best and they should be rewarded for it."

A statement from the Department of Education said: “To make sure that grades are fair between schools and colleges, exam boards are putting all centre assessment grades through a process of standardisation using a model developed with Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator.”