Wolverhampton school 'told pupils answers to GCSE'

Wolverhampton Council confirmed the investigation was taking place at Deansfield School which earlier this year was named as one of the 200 most improved state schools in the country for GCSE results.

Spokesman Gurdip Thandi said: "Edexcel carried out an inquiry at Deansfield into allegations made about the conduct of examinations, including the segregation of pupils and the checking of scripts."

Edexcel, which is one of the biggest examination boards in England and Wales, says it is probing the allegations at Deansfield School in East Park but refused to elaborate on what the investigation was about.

The school, which opened in 1968, has 593 pupils on the roll and was rated 'good' in its last Ofsted report which was completed in 2011.

It is believed the complaints centre around the suggestion that a number of students were segregated from other pupils, taken into a room and given the answers to the tests during this year's GCSE exams.

Edexcel spokeswoman Edexcel, Pippa Vaux said: "I can confirm that Deansfield School is currently being investigated.

"We can't comment on any individual circumstances whilst they are still under investigation, however we take any allegation of malpractice extremely seriously and will always take appropriate action, in the interests of fairness for all learners, when such incidents are discovered."

The Express & Star understands that Edexcel received a tip-off about what allegedly happened and compliance officers from the examination board entered the Deans Road site on Friday July 19 to check paperwork.

Mr Thandi added: "We have been assured that Edexcel have undertaken a thorough investigation and we anticipate they will return to the school later this week to consolidate their conclusions and sign off the investigation.

"The school is very stringent in ensuring the correct procedures are followed in all examinations.

"The council has received complaints and these will be investigated."

The school's headteacher Dean Coombes wouldn't be drawn on the claims. He said: "I stand by what the local educational authority have said."

One of the school's governors, Wolverhampton City Councillor Keith Inston, said: "I don't believe a word of it. Our success has come from the hard work of our students, not by cheating.

"I think these allegations have been made by people with an axe to grind against the school and they're trying to cause trouble."

In the latest school league tables, published in January, Deansfield was one of four Wolverhampton schools in the 200 most improved state schools in the country for the percentage of pupils gaining A*-C grades at GCSE including English and maths. Deansfield was 21st.