Bug makes schools wait for A level results

Many schools were prevented from accessing A level results electronically this week, due to problems with the DialNet Internet service.

Susan Whitfield, headmistress of Notting Hill and Ealing High School, which is part of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST), said: "We tried from nine in the morning to download the results, and we didn't get them until ten past six."

All UK exam boards post their results electronically to DialNet, as well as sending paper versions direct to schools. The electronic results are supposed to be available from 12.01am on 19 August. The paper version arrives by morning post on 20 August, which is when students are allowed to see their grades.

"We had hoped to take a proper look at the grades in advance, so we could advise the students on their university choices," Whitfield continued. "But we had to wait for the post. So the girls didn't get the results until 10am, by which time universities were already making decisions about clearance candidates."

Other GDST schools, including Putney High School, found similar problems. Richmond Tertiary College, a state-funded school, got its results smoothly via DialNet. But it downloaded them automatically at 1am, during a period of low usage.

A source close to the situation confirmed there had been a problem. However DialNet customer services manager, Karen Gardner, said she would not give details until after the GCSE results were released on 26August. Nor would she confirm or deny reports that DialNet has changed its server recently.

DialNet is used by a large number of state schools, which link to it via the Schools Information Management System (Sims).