How Should You Prepare for GCSE Results Day?
You will receive your results on Thursday 22 August, with grades usually made available at the school from 8am that day.
You may be feeling anxious about GCSE results day but don't panic, we are here to help! We'll go through what you can expect on the day and what to do if things don’t quite go to plan.
Before Results Day
Be open with friends and family about your results and any worries you may have; they are there to help you. Check with your school what time you will be able to access your results from, maybe have a family member with you when you receive them, be aware of who to contact at your school to discuss the results.
Eat normally and get plenty of sleep the night before.
On Results Day
Ensure that you are ready to travel to your school to collect the results at the time they become available. Have your phone on you, you may want to contact friends and family to share the news.
Confirming Your Next Steps
You have received your results and need to think about what you are going to do next. Have the numbers or next steps ready beforehand to speak/confirm your place at your chosen college or sixth form as soon as possible if you have already applied.
Didn't get the GCSE grades you hoped for?
You will hear this a lot, but don’t panic if things don't go to plan. This isn’t the end of the world, even if it feels like it. You have a number of options and paths open to you:
Appealing a GCSE grade
You can challenge a grade or result of a qualification if you think there's been a mistake. Contact your school or college to challenge a grade and they can request that the exam board reviews the marking of your exam entry. You may have to pay a fee if you ask for a review and your grade is not changed as a result, so check this with your school before they contact the exam board.
Do this as soon as possible, ideally, on the day itself when you pick up your results. If reviewing your exam doesn’t lead to anything, you can choose to resit it.
Contact the College or Sixth Form you were hoping to study at, they may be able to help you progress on to a course with the grades you hold. At South Thames Colleges Group GCSE retakes in English and Maths can be taken alongside a course if you don’t have these,
Knowing Your Options
If you are unsure of what your next step is after GCSEs, you have a number of options available, there will be a course or training programme that is right for you. You can book advice sessions to help find the right option on the enrolment pages for each of our Colleges, these are delivered by our expert student support team and careers advisers. At Kingston College we also offer one year, full time GCSE Retakes.
It may be worth exploring Apprenticeships – a great way to get paid whilst learning on the job. Check out more on Apprenticeships at South Thames Colleges Group here.
You can also start a college course at a variety of levels depending on your GCSE results and work up. Check out our course levels explained page to see what would be a suitable entry level for you.
