A child prodigy who passed his maths GCSE at the age of eight has been rejected from Oxford University because an exam board ‘lost’ his paper.
Jack Graham, 18, was handed conditional offer to study mathematics at the prestigious Lincoln College this year.
A-Level Maths
But after sitting his maths A-Level in May he was downgraded from his expected A* grade to an A – after exam board OCR mislaid one of his papers.
They created a calculation based on an average of his tests and other criteria, his father said.
They created a calculation based on an average of his other classmates, which lowered his grade, meaning he failed to meet his offer criteria for Oxford and was rejected.
His family said no one could believe it, including the headteacher.
The former Bracknell Garth Hill College student said: ‘When results day came, my jaw hit the floor.
‘I have to admit I’m angry and frustrated at the whole situation.
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‘When I first heard that the exam board had lost one of my papers I wasn’t concerned because I thought my previous results were good enough to be awarded an A* and I know things like these happen all the time.
Appeal rejected
‘It’s come to the point where now that the appeal has been rejected I have to accept it, but the question will always be there in the back of my mind.
‘What would my life have become if they were able to mark that paper and I was accepted into Oxford?
‘An A is certainly not a bad grade and I am grateful for it but all I feel now is devastation that my dream to attend one of the best maths colleges in the country has been shattered.’
Jack will instead study at Warwick University for the next four years to study Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics (MORSE).
He said that although this was not his first choice, he is looking forward to starting at Warwick, which is the third best mathematics university in the UK behind Cambridge and Oxford.
Jack will also continue to tutor students in Bracknell.
His father Andy Graham expressed his disappointment that Jack has missed out on a spot at Oxford, adding that his son was ‘furious’ and described the incident as a ‘bad joke’.
He said his son had wanted to attend Lincoln College like Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – who is known for his advocacy of maths as a subject.
