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Original poster

AIBU to think telling all pupils on exam results day who got top results is cruel and unnecessary?

27 replies

Gillemeow · 09/09/2026 19:52

This has been bugging me since GCSE results day 2024.

My teen attended a high performing grammar school. Every year on both GCSE and A-level results days they give each student an envelope with their results. Included in the envelope is a list of all pupils in the year group who have attained all 9s/A*s.

I know quite a few students, including those who did brilliantly (but not all 9s/A*s) and those who didn't do as well as they had hoped, who were really upset by this on results day.

I can't for the life of me understand why they do this. I understand sharing the information in the news, on social media and the school website to encourage more parents to apply to the school but these are kids who have either finished at the school or who have already applied for sixth form. If they aren't on the list, it really can't be anything other than demoralising for the students.

OP posts:
Newyearawaits · 09/09/2026 19:54

100pc agree with you OP
Extremely thoughtless and insensitive

LizandDerekGoals · 09/09/2026 19:56

I agree. What is the purpose of it?

KindlySurfiingPlatypus · 09/09/2026 19:56

Totally inappropriate and unreasonable - in many circumstances a child who got 9 A* grades wouldn't want to be publicised like that

junebirthdaygirl · 09/09/2026 19:59

That's absolutely mad. What purpose does it serve? What if a student wants to keep their results private. Even the neighbours know what they got. And those students may not have put as much sweat and tears into the exam as the other one whose name is never mentioned. Very strange carry on.

Tobacco · 09/09/2026 20:18

Yes, why do they have to be told individually about the ones who did better than them, at the same time as receiving their results. They can already see it on school social media or the website

BreezyClouds · 09/09/2026 20:20

I don't think cruel, you got what you got and others will have done better or worse than you, you already know that.

But it's inappropriate and surely a data protection issue. Those kids have not given consent and it's just a wierd thing to do.

autumnaunt · 09/09/2026 20:21

Very insensitive and unappreciative that for some students the grades achieved, even if lower, would signal a significant achievement. I would be taking this up with the Board of Governors.

TrixieFatell · 09/09/2026 20:24

Surely there's a data protection breach there.

PressTheSwitch · 09/09/2026 20:28

Wow! I’ve never heard of this happening before. How ridiculously insensitive.

Maybe even the students getting all 9s didn’t want it broadcasted either - many are empathetic to their fellow peers and wouldn’t want to rub salt in wounds.

Timeforachange26 · 09/09/2026 20:30

I don't see the point of it but also don't see a big issue. Mind you we had our class positions for every subject exam given. They were in our reports but everyone knew who had what position

If we can cope with that at 7 and 8 an 18 year old should be able to cope with someone getting higher marks

SulkingInTheCatio · 09/09/2026 20:34

I think it’s inappropriate.

I remember back when I was at school the local newspaper published the name of every single Year 5 and Upper 6th student (so year 11 and 13) and every exam grade per subject. For the whole town to read! Was pages and pages of results! 🙈.

Mnetcurious · 09/09/2026 20:35

Totally agree with you. The focus on kids who get straight 9s makes anything less seem not good enough.

Mine also go to an excellent state in an v middle class area. Eldest got two 9s, four 8s and the rest 7. This is all A or A* in old money but somehow it pales in comparison to the straight 9 kids. It’s ridiculous that kids can achieve results like this and not feel that it’s amazing!

Similarly my second just achieved all 8-6 but somehow that’s just meh.

Zanatdy · 09/09/2026 20:39

That’s crazy. My DD did get all 9’s but would have been mortified if they’d have all got a letter telling other pupils.

PestoQueen · 09/09/2026 20:43

It’s purely for schools to try and showcase themselves- it’s really bad for mental health . My son passed all his 5, 6’s and a 7 and 8 which I was so proud of - but it appears he has berated himself for not being good enough ever since!! 😞!! It’s very toxic

PestoQueen · 09/09/2026 20:43

it’s like schools only care about 7-9

ChocolateApples · 09/09/2026 20:49

It's a bit weird to do it on the day, when really you are just thinking about your own, and to a lesser extent, your friends'. But our top people got listed in the school newsletter (no social media back then) and I didn't really think anything of it.

ParentsTrapped · 09/09/2026 20:58

I think it’s a bit pointless to do it on an individual basis like that but I also don’t think it’s as amazingly insensitive as some are making out. They’ll find out who got straight 9s regardless, and it doesn’t mean that their results aren’t valued by the school. If they aren’t happy with their own performance then they wouldn’t be happy whether they were told this or not.

Our school newsletter that was sent to all pupils included info like this, and also who had got into what universities, which sports teams/individuals had succeeded in sports competitions, who got the main roles in the school play, who was chosen for head girl and boy etc…it would never have entered my mind to think that that kind of info shouldn’t be communicated to other students, or to feel put out if I wasn’t one of the ones singled out.

Original poster
Gillemeow · 10/09/2026 20:14

I feel like it's also an unnecessary expense creating the letter and colour printing it. Then there's the time putting an extra document in each results envelope. Surely staff time would be better spent helping those who didn't do so well on results day.

OP posts:
keepswimming38 · 10/09/2026 20:20

My results were in the local paper. Everyone’s were in 1984! I don’t see the point of including other people’s results in your envelope. Unless you can pretend they are yours and get a better place at uni! Weird!

Mumoftwoteenagers · 10/09/2026 20:28

Yes - don’t like this. And dd (who got 10 9s) would have hated it.

It isn’t a secret what she got but it is her info to choose to tell or not to tell. The school has no right to share or not to share.

RedToothBrush · 10/09/2026 20:32

TrixieFatell · 09/09/2026 20:24

Surely there's a data protection breach there.

This.

It's not legal.

dcadmamagain · 10/09/2026 20:46

Exam results are personal data. In places like the UK, data protection laws (such as GDPR) mean schools have a legal duty to keep a student's personal academic records private

concertinacornflake · 10/09/2026 20:51

If you are in the UK, this is a data breach unless they have consent.

TrixieFatell · 10/09/2026 21:23

My eldest did amazing in their GCSEs and the school wanted to publish them on their Facebook page. They asked us permission before they did.

I don't understand why they think this is a good thing to do.

Chattanoogachoo · 10/09/2026 21:54

At my daughter's school the top cohort were awarded academic ties which they wore throughout the two years of A levels.A reminder of the results to everyone every day and the ties were formally given in an all school assembly.