EDUCATION SECRETARY Gavin Williamson has been accused of failing children yet again after it was revealed that private schools have been quietly lobbying universities to accept their students with lower grades.

The Sunday Times carried out an investigation that revealed the lobbying by schools for the posh that targeted the top Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.

A-level exam results are not due to be published for two weeks, but schools already know the results as they are based on teacher assessments due to the pandemic.

And schools for the children of the wealthy have been stepping in to bag university places for rich families’ kids, even though they have failed to achieve required grades.

Last year, the Education Secretary threw A-level examinations into chaos by introducing an algorithm-based system to change teacher assessments, then changed his mind when uproar followed as tens of thousands of students’ marks were downgraded.

Labour shadow education secretary Kate Green said: “Gavin Williamson had a year to learn from the mistakes of last year’s exams fiasco and put in place a system that was fair to pupils, but these reports suggest he has failed again.

“When grades are awarded this year, every pupil must be supported to progress in their education, not just the most privileged.

“The Conservatives must urgently set out the steps they are taking to ensure every young person gets the support they need on results day, and how they will be able to progress to the next stage of education or employment.”