Schools launch exams action

They served papers on England's beleaguered exam regulator Ofqual and question-setters AQA and Edexcel.

The alliance of 167 pupils supported by 150 schools, 42 councils and six unions and professional bodies wants the papers remarked.

They claim that as many as 10,000 students missed out on a C grade despite achieving the same standard as their classmates who got the mark in the January sitting.

National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower said hapless Education Secretary Michael Gove should have followed Wales's example and regraded the papers.

The NUT "has been left with no option but to try and redress through the courts the great injustice suffered this year by schools and pupils," she said.

And National Association of Head Teachers general secretary Russell Hobby said the legal action was the "next step" in the pupils' fight for justice.

"It is sad that it needs to be done this way but there seems to be no recognition that the wrong decisions were made and therefore no other choice."

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg added: "This exam shambles has gone on far too long.

"It is completely unacceptable that those representing teachers, parents and pupils have to resort to the courts to get fair GCSE grades."

A spokesman for Pearson, the parent company of exam board Edexcel, said he would not be making comment while the company's legal team dealt with the matter.