GCSE Results

Within this section we have provided some information that will help you if you are just picking up your GCSE results. These will be available from August in the summer holidays. At this point you can find the following pieces of information to help you.

Tips Moving Forward

On the day you receive your results there will normally be members of staff there to help you, whether celebrating your achievements or providing you with advice and guidance on what options you now have. You are not alone. However, the links above will give you a great idea about what your next move should be.

This website has a number of great sections that will help you with the next steps so take time to read through and get an idea.

There are also a number of great websites below that are worth having a look at, also take a look at the Higher Education section of our website as that will also give you a great idea about the options that are open to you once you have received your results.

That National Careers Service also have a Careers Advisor online or you can telephone them on 0800 100 900, and they will be there to speak to you between 8am right up to 10pm at night.

Whatever you choose now will effect your future, this means you need to think carefully about what you really want. When making these choices you need to ensure you choose something that suits you, and you enjoy. Here are some helpful hints to help you:

  • make a list of the advantages and disadvantages for each of your options. Theses options are looking for an Apprenticeship, Training Course, stopping in education or looking for a job that has training.
  • List your skills, interests as well as your likes and dislikes.
  • What is your preferred style of learning. Do you like learning in a classroom, do you prefer hands on learning etc.
  • What is your back up plan? what if you can’t get your first choice, this may be the case if for example you try to get into an apprenticeship that is within a popular employment sector.
  • What financial support will you get if you go into an apprenticeship, training course or stop in education. Will this have an impact on your decision.

Failed, What Now?

It can be devastating to find out that your results were not good enough to get into your chosen Sixth Form or College Course, however it is not the end of the world, don’t worry or panic—talk to your teachers about the courses that may be open to you. Over the next few days sixth form colleges and colleges will have staff available to speak to about your choices.

If you discover that your grades are not good enough to start an Advanced (Level 3) Course, then there will be a number of options. You could take one of the many Intermediate (Level 2) courses available, theses will normally last 1 year and if you do well you may be able to then move onto the Advanced course in your second year.

If your grades were not what you needed to reach the Intermediate level, you have the option to take a Foundation (Level 1) and Entry course, there are a wide choice of courses available within the Foundation by local colleges and some even some work based learning providers, these courses often don’t need you to meet minimum grade requirements to apply.

Help is available from the National Careers Service website nationalcareerservice.direct.gov.uk, their helpline is 0800 100 900.

Can I retake my GCSE’s?

There are some colleges that will give you the opportunity to retake all your GCSE’s, if that isn’t available most will allow the retake of English and Maths, and sometimes Science too alongside other courses.

When it comes to retaking exams students find that they generally only seen an improvement of one grade. Therefore, if you didn’t get the GCSE results that you expected then maybe looking at other options will be better, and will provide you with the same level of qualifications.

That’s a Mistake!

You may be completely surprised by your exam results and not understand why they were lower than expected, in this circumstance it may be worth talking to your teachers about have the papers remarked. Although mistakes in marking are rare, they do happen and so it is possible for your school to have them remarked if they believe that there is a good reason to do so. That said remarking works both ways, your result may go up or stay the same, but you also take the risk of the grade going down. How certain are you that you deserved a better grade?

Wow, I didn’t expect to do so well!

If you were lucky enough to get better grades than you expected, you may have more options to think about than your original plans Revisit the sixth form or college courses you have opted for, the apprenticeships or any other opportunities you are interested in. Maybe your results will mean you can take an Advanced (Level 3) course where you were set to take an Intermediate (Level 2) etc.

Can I get a job?

You may want to get a job when you finish school. There are options for you here too, an Apprenticeship will give you the opportunity to learn on the job, build your knowledge and experience, and gain new skills while obtaining new qualifications, all while earning some money. All that and you also have the ability to complete the Apprenticeships at your won pace, although it normally takes 12 months. You can find out more about Apprenticeships at www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Due to the Raising of the Participation Age (RPA), students that finished year 11 in 2014 onwards will need to continue education or training in some way until the age of 18. That said, you can still get a full time job or do volunteer work, full time means 20 hours or more each week, along with this you will need to continue with accredited training (this means training that provides you with a qualification) - this means you need to either be attending college or having work based training at the same time. The training needs to be for at least 280 hours over a year, which is equal to 1 day a week, but this can be arranged around you and your employers needs.

What options do I have?

If your GCSE results were not as good as you had thought they would be it will be a good to look through the options that will give you the opportunity to learn work skills and achieve qualifications in a different way to staying in school. The options available are available in the Beyond Post 16 section of the website.