Parent of Harrow pupils says it's been a 'non-stop disadvantage' after A-level fiasco

14 August 2020, 21:00 | Updated: 14 August 2020, 21:04

Harrow student refutes claim private schools haven't been downgraded

A furious parent whose son's A-levels were downgraded has said it has been a "non-stop disadvantage" to have her son educated at an independent school.

Nicole, a caller from Dubai, has two sons who currently attend Harrow School in west London, costing the family around £100,000 each year.

She said her son Max's grades were "disastrous", and he claims around 80 per cent of his friends at school haven't gone to their top choice university.

Max said he was predicted ABC for his subjects in Physics, Business and Design and Technology, but was eventually given two Es and a C.

He told LBC's Andrew Pierce he was "shocked" and although he can attend his first choice university after being given an unconditional place he doesn't "want to be stuck with two Es for the rest of my life."

When Andrew asked Nicole asked if private schools had escaped the downgrading, as many people have claimed in the media, Nicole strongly refuted this.

"We feel the opposite, a lot of the time that the private schools are actually at a disadvantage now to be in an independent school," she said.

"We did it because we live in Dubai and we wanted the boys to have that connection with the UK.

"We feel it's been non-stop disadvantage from the get go, we would not do it again.

"We lost the last term as well, it's just been a shambles.

"My second son is 11 months younger than Max and will be taking his A-levels this year. We don't know if he's going to sit them we don't if it's going to roll into next year.

"We don't know if we're going to send [her other son] because if the airports close then we don't want to have no contact.

"It's a complete mess. There's no way this hasn't affected private schools."

Listen to Andrew's full exchange with Nicole in the video above.