GCSE results day: what you need to know

It’s important to remember that a recent change in the law brought in something called Raising of the Participation Age which means that anyone finishing Year 11 this year will have to remain in some form of education or training until their 18th birthday.

This could include taking an Apprenticeship, Traineeship or Supported Internship, going to college or remaining at school in the sixth form.

Many students will get the grades they need to follow the course of their choice this week.

For anyone whose results were not as good as they hoped, the first thing to do is to contact your preferred school or college and see if the grades might still allow you to do the course for which you have a conditional offer.

There may well be help at your school on or after the results day and local arrangements may well have been developed which your school should have told you about.

Information about courses available at schools, colleges and other providers can be found at: www.ucasprogress.com

Don’t forget that as well as courses at schools and colleges, for those who would rather learn on the job with an employer you can also consider Apprenticeships and Traineeships. Information on these can be found at: www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship.

Advice from Career Pilot:

Try to get some sleep the night before - being sleep deprived isn’t going to help so keep yourself occupied.

Arrive early to collect your results, if you go to a large school, arriving on or after the allocated time can mean you’re faced with large queues - prolonging the wait and increasing any nervousness.

Being nervous is natural, but try not to get too worked up - remaining calm can mean you’re better prepared to consider your next steps, whatever they may be.

It’s not the end of the world if your grades aren’t what you hoped or expected - take time to consider your options, rushing in to a decision is not a good idea.

Try not to compare your results with friends (especially if you think there’s a risk it might make you feel worse).

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from teachers or advisers - they will be keen to help you and it’s their job!

It might help to look at the Careerpilot Choices at 16 pages.

If you haven’t passed Maths or English Language with a grade C or above

First thing to do is speak immediately to the head of the school or college post 16 centre that you are planning to attend or to the training provider for your Apprenticeship.

Regardless of what you plan to do next, it is now a requirement for you to retake both Maths and English Language until you obtain a C Grade.

It is often the case that colleges offer classes to prepare you to retake these GCSEs, so it would be best to check that this is available for you.

If classes are not available at your school, it may be worth checking with local colleges to see if they offer additional classes.

You can find out about course provision in your local area in Find a Provider at careerpilot.org.uk