Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

Aibu to be on holiday on gcse results day

130 replies

mrsbeeton999 · 27/12/2021 09:08

We’ve really missed going to France and it’s another rainy morning so I’d love to book our summer holiday this morning! With a wedding at home in early august, the best time for us to go is the last 2 weeks of the summer holidays. GCSE results day is 22nd august so there would only be time for 1 week if we wait and go after that. Is it important to be home for this? Obviously we’ll have internet but not sure if there’s lots to do like confirming results for sixth form college of anything? He’s our eldest so we’re new to this!

OP posts:

emmathedilemma · 27/12/2021 09:41

I was out of the country on GCSE results day and can't say I feel like I missed out on a rite of passage by not going to collect them at school! I waited a day until they arrived at home in the post then rang home from a phone box! Don't they get emailed these days?

EileenGC · 27/12/2021 09:43

Unless you’re driving from York to Perpignan, I don’t see how going for less than 2 weeks wouldn’t be worth it? It’s a 1-2h flight, book a shorter holiday and go to France if that’s what you all want.

Runnerduck34 · 27/12/2021 09:46

I wouldn't, we've had similar dilemmas in the past and just gone away for a week. It's a pita but just had to suck it up.
DCs school insist on results being collected in person for some reason, and even if they did agree to email them where we usually go on holiday has limited WiFi and phone signal.
If results aren't as expected DC may have to rethink options, also if going to college and they miss the first enrollment day the course may be full when they go and enrol after returning from holiday. Not to mention DC were very keen to meet up with friends and ( hopefully) celebrate.
So sorry it's a no from me!

BigSandyBalls2015 · 27/12/2021 09:47

It all depends on the DC … some love to meet up with friends for this sort of thing, others are possibly less social and would be happy to get them online. Ask your DS.

Tillymintpolo · 27/12/2021 09:48

Went to enrolment at 2 different colleges with both of mine. Both had to go in person and be photographed for their ID.

AngelinaFibres · 27/12/2021 09:50

Been through gcses with 2 sons. Do not go away. France will be there another year. Your son will likely be on pins the whole of the week results are due. If it goes well there will be stuff to deal with and he will want to celebrate with friends. If it goes less well there will be other stuff to deal with and he will want to be with friends even more. This is the most important thing that has happened in his life so far. To him it is huge even if outwardly he downplays it.

jackstini · 27/12/2021 09:50

I wouldn't. I hated being away and all my friends getting them without me

We have specifically booked to land back on the 24th so dd can go get them with her friends on the 25th

USaYwHatNow · 27/12/2021 09:52

I went I to school to get my results. It was quite a big deal to all go in together with friends to collect them, and be able to chat things through with teachers if I had any worries.

I would 100% recommend them physically being there, especially if they are attending a college not attached to their secondary.

My brother and I went to the college attached to our school and got the grades we expected (in some cases better). My sister on the other hand was going to a college two counties away, and there was a mistake with one of her grades. Having it sorted there and then, and me being able to go and chat to the teachers with her in person, alleviated a lot of the anxiety she would've felt if she'd found out via email/Internet if we'd have been abroad

Whatafustercluck · 27/12/2021 09:53

I was in France with my parents when I got my GCSE results and we didn't have email back then, so they got posted out to my auntie instead. Go for it, op. I loved receiving my results while on holiday. We celebrated with a lovely meal in a wonderful place.

Landof · 27/12/2021 09:54

Results day were a huge thing round here (I'm late 20s now) after GCSE results day we all went out with my year group. Then again with A levels. I remember during A levels my friend's mum went on holiday and my friend stayed behind. I was quite shocked to be honest. And my friend stayed at mine the night before so we could collect together and I know she wished her mum was there in person!

frazzledasarock · 27/12/2021 09:54

My DC’s enrolment date was day of GCSE results. We picked up results and physically went to the sixth form and DC enrolled.

Are you sure you don’t have to physically pick up results and then enrol at the sixth form?

By the next day DC’s sixth form had a sign on the door stating the sixth form was now full and was not considering any further applications.

Abraxan · 27/12/2021 09:55

None of our local sixth forms enrol on results day, though apparently some elsewhere do.
Last couple of years it's all been online here anyway, for gcse and a level. Again, different schools have different ways of doing it though.

How does your child feel about it?

I know a number of teens been away for gcse results day, but they've been pretty much guaranteed their sixth form place and very confident they'd get the results they need. Only one ever had to call to clarify some thing. So it's worked fine for them, but may not for others - especially if results could be borderline or the next step is less guaranteed.

However, different schools and colleges work in different ways so you need to check with the systems in place - face to face or online/email, when is enrolment and more importantly what your child wants.

pumpkinpie01 · 27/12/2021 09:57

We were away for results day years ago , it was fine. Ds previously told school his gf would be collecting his results and she read them out over the phone .

Tillymintpolo · 27/12/2021 09:58

6th form colleges can potentially have thousands of students (ours has 4000) and once courses are full, they’re full. It’s not the same as a school, you need to be there

Normski67 · 27/12/2021 10:02

Can socialise online, can enrol online, can make phone calls from anywhere in the world!
No my DS would have been gutted to be away with us in GCSE results day, rather than spending it with his friends. ‘Socialising online’ doesn’t really cut it with excited 16 year olds who are ready to let off some steam on a summers day. Both my DS’s had to collect results in person, this year and last.

AngelinaFibres · 27/12/2021 10:03

@Whatafustercluck

Your results were presumably what you expected and what you needed so that creates a wonderful day and a lovely memory. Had they been different I expect it would have been a far less happy memory for all concerned. If you had no email because no one had email it is very different to having no email because you are in the depths of France whilst everyone else is busy snapping up all the available places via email.

Sinthie · 27/12/2021 10:07

I was on holiday for my results before the days of the internet. My neighbour read them down the phone to me - it was fine. I work at a college that make allowances for those who get the grades and are on holiday. Just let them know by phone. It’s a special day, but most stuff can be done online or over the phone. Family hols are important too!

Sodullincomparison · 27/12/2021 10:09

We often have students in holidays and when we know in advance we have those results ready to email out or speak on the phone.

Everything can be done in person or by email over the following few days.

RedHelenB · 27/12/2021 10:10

Getting results at school and then going out with your mates to celebrate was a big deal to my dc.

TheHomeEdit · 27/12/2021 10:12

Find out how your sons school do results and how his choice of sixth form registers incoming students.

This ‘right of passage ‘ thing is not all schools. The school my dc attended simply sends out GCSE results by email at 7am. The only pupils who go into school are those that have done badly enough to need to rethink options. Staff are there to see those students only.

Mine stayed at school sixth form. One emailed to confirm his subject choice as he had been undecided on final A level. School were aware he had two possibilities. But again no need for an in person visit.

I know families who have been away and it makes no difference in our particular school. Equally I know of friends in another school who were on extended trip to see family in Australia and school had even then refused to email results. First they knew of results was when I sent a message to mum saying congratulations on GCSEs as daughter was named in local paper.

sleighbellsgin · 27/12/2021 10:19

I'm going to go against the grain here OP, but I was in Italy with family for my GCSE results, it was a long time ago but a family member collected them for me and called us. I celebrated with friends when we got back, I was really happy to be on holiday getting them and we went out for a nice meal that night to celebrate, I still remember it well and that was 20 years ago! I'd give the choice to your DS!

BikeMyCycle · 27/12/2021 10:23

I planned on going to my school sixth form and was away in France actually on GCSE results day (this was the year 2000....). They were posted home and my Nan opened them up for me and called us with the results. In this day and age I’m sure you can organise places etc from France as easily as here in the UK.

Haskell · 27/12/2021 10:26

At the school I work in, we enrol 6th formers on results day. Tbh, if you aren't there in the first 20 minutes, you won't get a place, as it is hugely oversubscribed.

We still don't actually know that exams will go ahead, nor do you know how many exams he'll get to sit (should he contract COVID in exam period), so I wouldn't be too sure about what his results are going to look like.
I have a Y11 myself this year, and the uncertainty is very stressful.
He simply must be there for results day.

PeachTea1 · 27/12/2021 10:29

My parents booked holidays over both my gcse and a level results days. Was a bit sad at the time to miss out but it wasn’t the end of the world

MillicentFaucet · 27/12/2021 10:36

Bloody hell I'm not surprised young people are so stressed now. "The most important day of their lives so far" is a fucking ridiculously overblown response to getting GCSE exam results.
Why does everything from graduating from nursery school onwards have to be such a massive performance? You're not doing your kids any favours, the expectations around all this hoop jumping are unhealthy.
OP just go on a relaxing family holiday and be back in time to enroll for 6th form.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6