A-levels and GCSEs: Teacher estimates to be used for exam results

Media captionRoger Taylor: "It simply has not been an acceptable experience for young people"

A-level and GCSE students in England will be given grades estimated by their teachers, rather than by an algorithm, after a government U-turn.

It follows uproar after about 40% of A-level results were downgraded by exams regulator Ofqual, which used a formula based on schools' prior grades.

GCSE results in England, Wales and Northern Ireland come out on Thursday.

Ofqual chair Roger Taylor and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson apologised for the "distress" caused.

Mr Williamson said students and parents had been affected by "significant inconsistencies" with the grading process.

The decision by the UK government brings England in line with the other UK nations.