Receiving GCSE and A-level results can be a hugely overwhelming moment, especially given the amount of disruption to education in the last 18 months.
As teacher-assessed grades will provide the outcomes for 2021, it’s important for children to know what their options are if things don’t go quite as expected.
Firstly, it’s essential that they recognise that these grades can still be improved and that they don’t need to worry if the letters and numbers on their paper are lower than they want.
It’s perfectly normal to have anxiety and concerns in this situation, but there are several options that can still be explored.
Children should speak with their teachers to find out why they were awarded the grades they were, which should also provide an opportunity to refocus on areas where improvement may be needed.
On top of this, both you and your child’s teacher can help them to evaluate the best approach for moving forward.
For those with fresh GCSE grades, they may want to reconsider their chosen A-levels based on the results, appeal, or take resits in the autumn to potentially boost their outcomes.
Meanwhile, those with A-level results may want to consider contacting universities, going through clearing or opting for appeals and resits.
There’s still plenty of time before the autumn resits take place too, the outcomes of which will be used instead of teacher-assessed grades if they are higher than those already awarded.
This means your child still has control over their results, and there are numerous support options that can ensure they are prepared and as confident as possible ahead of those exams.
In addition to classroom teaching support, you may also wish to seek the assistance of an online tutor, who will be able to provide tailored help and guidance.
These plans can be developed around your child’s existing knowledge and can plug gaps or seek to better their understanding of certain topics or subjects.
Ultimately this should enable your child to be prepared for the autumn resits and leave them best placed to achieve the outcomes they want.
Whatever the results your child has achieved this year though, be sure to remind them that there’s plenty of time ahead to shape their careers as they see fit.