How the A-level exam results went so badly wrong, and why it could be "the earliest Christmas ever" for London's West End

<p>Headteachers from across the country are&nbsp;scrambling to launch thousands of appeals against “unfair” A-level results as a storm over the exam system grows.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/a-level-appeals-downgraded-results-a4523901.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Many&nbsp;students have been left distraught </a>after about 280,000 entries were downgraded from teacher assessments.&nbsp;But the Evening Standard's education editor Anna Davis says the appeals will have to wait because authorities can't agree on how the procedure should work. Meanwhile, universities are being urged to be lenient towards applicants, but it looks like many hopefuls won't get the places they wanted. Anna tells us what's gone wrong, and the desperate efforts to put it right.</p><p><br></p><p>Also, the world famous Oxford Street Christmas lights could sparkle a little earlier this year. Businesses in the West End are considering an October switch on to encourage <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sadiq-khan-save-londons-west-end-a4523461.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">people back to the shops</a>. Jace Tyrell, the&nbsp;CEO of the New West End Company, which represents 600 firms in the area, says it "could be the earliest Christmas ever" but it's needed after coronavirus virtually wiped out trading in the summer.</p><p><br></p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>