2025 A Level Results Day and Sept Uni Starters - All Welcome

[SlightlyJaded]

I couldn't see board specifically dedicated to results day for our DC who have sat A levels this spring. And I know some of us STILL have questions about Uni starters.

DS has Liverpool as his first choice and Notts Trent as his insurance - both to study History. Anyone who recognises me from previous boards might remember the hell we went through with DD a couple of years ago, so DS has applied quite a lot of caution to his choices - perhaps too much, perhaps not enough. Neither of us have any idea what to expect with his results. He has genuinely fluctuated between a D and an A in some of his mocks....

I still haven't done anything about accommodation which is one of the reasons I am starting this thread.

But mostly, it's for nail biting, relief, tears, support, advice and all the other things needed to get us through the next few weeks.

Welcome :)

I think that's good of the school, staff wi have the grade boundaries for a the subjects normally printed, many will be happy to request papers and some teachers will loom through and be honest about whether they think you can go up and if so what paper. Also they can help with clearing and looking at courses for you as well with your grades. They can also perhaps just offer support. If DS doesn't want to (I doubt they'll give it to him online for one person and if they do it might later in the day) - he can get them and go outside, do it somewhere quiet (many kids do this, it's so normal, they'll be places he can stand/leave the hall, go into the car and then come back) whatever works because depending on the amount of people etc you don't want to just have to see other people react to you're grades and also sometimes it takes a while to process. Even sometimes the subjects aren't in the order you expect, (this happened to me and I was trying to think of what I want for x subject and where it is on the sheet). Some teachers will know their marks, especially by 8:30-9 on the day, and they can't tell you what you got, but many will smile and say you'll be happy etc which calms people down a bit.

In general 6th forms (because they're smaller and do GCSE results as well) tend to have more staff in and also in person results because pastoral support, espeically for teachers you're close to, even if you've done well and gotten what you need, just thanking them etc, again support for clearing and univeristy details (e.g finding courses you may like in clearing for you whilist you're on the phone etc) and they tend to me more hands on with it. He may also want you to look first? I personally hate and have always hated the idea of someone else opening my results first but many people like it, some vet friends to do it as well. I even hated the fact my teachers knew how I did before I did especially in subjects where I didn't want to let them down or myself.

Similar - Durham firm, Southampton insurance, DS’s GF also has Durham firm!

I am a teacher, and will be in school from around 7 a.m. on Thursday, to be there to support my own students if required. It is always such a very odd day for the teachers, as we have to be able to switch from happy congratulations to supportive advice at a moment's notice. My DS will be in to collect his grades at some point; I'll know them slightly before he does, but really am not allowed to pass them along! He is planning a Gap Year anyway (with a deferred application) so will have time to re-think if there's a problem. (Cambridge firm, Nottingham insurance.)

When my DD got her results, she didn't bother coming in to school -- she had an Unconditional offer as art/music/drama normally offer on the basis of portfolio or audition rather than A-level grades!

Good luck everyone! I've helped various students through clearing, and there simply must be a better way. The problem is inertia; nobody wants to shift the current timings of exams or academic year-start.

This is where some schools (and private schools) show real support. It’s their final act of support for their students and can make a real difference.

I understand some students like to look at results in the privacy of home….but I wonder if people realise how much more difficult Clearing can be, with no immediate access to teacher support and especially if there is any thought about a review of marking.

Schools which offer lots of support - will have had meetings the day before - identified students who might not be accepted in their Firm (they have the grades but won’t know UCAS decisions until 8am on Thursday) and will have put together results envelopes, including names of staff who will be available to help them if needed. They are also likely to have looked at Clearing sites on Weds Eve and Thurs early morning and found alternative possibilities. They will staff available to help and advise students on the day - those missing uni places can be shell shocked, but time is of the essence.
They will have someone from each subject available who will know the grade boundaries and have looked at the different papers and be able to say that Paper 1 or whatever is worth getting a script back for, or requesting a review of marking. They will have exam officers working and forms available for students to put in requests for review of marking on Thursday morning. They will be processed that day. Staff will be working and sending returned scripts or marking reviews to teachers and students every day as they arrive. This is all because they know time matters and places which were ost can be reinstated, but often only for the following academic year, if not received and uni updated within a few days. They will be there to sit with students as they call Clraring, if they want that. And they will be following up with any still not sorted over the next few days to ensure everyone has support they need.

I’m firmly of the view that the school or college responsibility towards the student ends not when results are handed out, but when they’ve been supported into their next phase. This might mean it’s all done and dusted on results morning as everything worked out. But some will need some help over the next week with Clearing or Marking Reviews and some might need help with references the following year for a post application review.

I do wonder how many students end up with a less than optimum outcome because there is a lack of support and staff availability on results day and in the week after. It seems such a shame for the students, but also for the school when they’ve put such a lot of effort into helping students get the grades, for the outcomes to then not be the best they could be.

All I can say, is get the results as early as possible. Go into school or college early if that’s available. No/-one needs to open results in front of people. Students find nooks and crannies and walls to hide behind and cars to sit in. They look and then most go back to their friends to share the news. And some go back in to talk to teachers. Most would like to know if they just scraped their grade or just missed the grade above. They’d like to know which paper they did best on etc. a sole grade or possibly a grade and number total doesn’t tell you much alone and after 2 years hard work, many would like a bit more. And if a teacher thinks a grade is surprising, or it’s looking like a paper has dodgy marking across the cohort, they can advise and script requests etc can be done then and there. No-one needs to share anything they don’t want to with anyone.
Even if it’s a 30 min or hour journey, it’s really usually very worth it.

Flagging up as well that, if students go to a state secondary school 6th form, this support and these hours are unpaid and in the teachers' own time. I don't know about 6th form college contracts, so can't comment there, but worth having in the back of your mind when judging the 'quality' of the support on and just after results day.

Good luck to everyone from someone who royally mucked up her own A-Levels many years ago, went through Clearing, took a roundabout route to get her degree and wouldn't change it even if she could 😄

Edited to add that this 'unpaid expectations' thing could also be avoided (or at least better managed) with a 'grades in hand' system imo.

Think that how DS college does it - they do cover a huge geographicla area.

They are there though on the day - and yes I expect unpaid - and they do a little drinks and food do - and have people to talk thing though with but results are on-line.

DS prefers this - see where he is accept it and plan if needed- though think he'll want to go in whatever to see friends and staff.

I looked at clearing last night his course and 5 similar ones are all in clearing - though still N/A on what they want DH think it means there are more likely to hold on to near misses due to that.

DD2 getting GCSE results week after - she had choice e-mail or go in back in January and chose go in - not sure now it's closer she happy she did. I think they thought they'd have time to hang out after - and they've all got to rush of to confirm college places this year in person all at different campuses. School not great with information or support - with few individual teacher exceptions who may not be in - few have left school - and pushy about stopping for sixth form despite not offering A-levels she wants to do.

I would add that if your child goes to a private school too, the staff are not paid to come in, but it is an expectation.

My husband is a head of department (English) and we can never have a holiday booked on the week of gcse or A level results day. Both in state and the private sector, he has been expected to be in on results day and available for students (unpaid in both sectors).

I had to collect DS2s GCSE results for him, as his mental health was awful during Yr11, 50% attendance and missed all of January and February. How he even sat the exams, nevermind passed enough to do A Levels, was a miracle in itself. He didn't get predicted results and couldn't do Chemistry A Level, so I had to drive back and forth.

The school was not supportive at all during Yr11 and I thought he had some kind of Stockholm Syndrome when he wanted to stay on at 6th Form. But tbh the colleges in our area either do no A Levels, or ones he had no interest in. He wouldn't even look at the other 6 Forms, but with his attendance etc, I'm not sure they would have accepted him.

I'm not sure whether he'll be able to cross the threshold this time. His maths teacher has been a huge support, not just to DS2, but me as well. She was the one championing him going to university and looking at Bath, Durham etc.

But I do feel it would be better for him to be able to see them online first. There was one FM paper where he spent so much time changing his answers to earlier questions that he didn't even get to start the last question. And it was a paper he was usually strongest in, and the comments on student websites, social media etc were generally that it was a good paper.

I do wonder if a year out would be better for him, but he's got a lot of barriers with getting work so that brings a whole set of other challenges. I've got 2 other DC with EHCPs that I'm battling the LA with but that's my comfort zone(!). This university stuff boils my tiny brain

DD’s school is another one where you have to go in. But you can absolutely just go and get your envelope and then head home and open it in private. DD’s bf will be doing this. DD wants me to go with her to school which I wasn’t expecting but am v happy to. I second others who have said it can be extremely useful to have teachers on hand to advise. DD’s GSCEs were good but there was one subject that was a shock grade and her teacher found us and said he’d like to get the script as it seemed odd and probably reviewed (it was subsequently reviewed and went up loads). If we hadn’t been there I think we’d have just left it.
I’m feeling increasingly anxious. DD needs two A stars and an A for both firm and insurance. Actually knowing we’ll have some of her lovely teachers on hand if she’s not got what she needs is very reassuring. Massive good luck to everyone.

To he honest sometimes students who are good at their subject have different reads to the general view on a paper. Especially if they want to show knowledge on nice things that the majority would hate because it's difficult and they haven't revised it, so when they have a paper that's not their expectations (even though they've likely done well) they read it as bad. So even if he doesn't think he's done as well as normal he very likely has and also people in general do better in the final exams they revise more, write longer then they have etc. So don't be too caught up on the general view of the paper.

Yes, surely with the digital and AI advances, it should nowadays not be an impossible task to go for a post-results application situation?

I know people often say that A-levels are too content rich, so perhaps reduce the content by 5% and ensure all exams are completed by mid-May with results out end of June.

Places can then be confirmed by early July and in the period between results (end of June) and the end of the academic year.

Y13s could perhaps be given life skills lessons instead e.g. on finance, even cooking, how to tackle a new job and how to be in a work environment - i.e. focus on discussion around punctuality, how to be proactive and respond to emails and requests quickly- and a community focus? And perhaps talks on university and the transition that brings?

The last question was worth quite a few marks, so he knows he will have tanked that one. But it was 1 of 4, the others he felt went well, so he can still get a decent grade overall. Not long until he finds out for sure...

I think when students do get worked up by hard a paper is, it's often not as bad as they think because there's a high chance others will have found it hard too, so the grade boundaries will be lower.

It's also the ones who are really good, who can be really upset because they didn't start one/got one wrong, because they expect to get them all right; whereas those who expect to only get half right are less bothered.

Ds seems chilled (he's not one that expects to get 100%, in fact he's happy with 50%) and told me I have no faith in him when I asked what his options were.
His plan is to see the grades when they come through at 8... assuming he can remember how to get into his school email. He says he thinks he remembers, but isn't sure, and no, he's not going to bother checking as there's no one at school who can do anything.
Then he's planning on going into school to meet friends at 10, then they're apparently going to head back to one of their houses and watch all his DVDs of the pantos he did when younger. I have no idea why they think that's the best thing to do on results day, but oh well! Most of them are taking a year out, so at least most of them are guaranteed not to need to be talking to clearing.
He might, if they're finished, and had enough, come out for a meal with us later, but he isn't sure.

DS told me his plans for Thursday. As his first step was to rely on UCAS at 8am is already think the plan is flawed. I’ll just be on taxi/tissue/emotional/champagne duty and see what the day brings!

Hi everyone, also sharing the nerves here well in advance of next week! Good luck to us all!
Whilst we will get results in terms of marks I assume and grades from school via email, does anyone know how we will be able to find out what the grade boundaries are?

Grade boundaries are published at 8am on the exam boards website on the 14th. They'll be a pdf with the grade boundaries per subject and then at the end of the pdf the breakdown of marks per exam paper needed for each grade. You'll have to go on each exam boards website though for it, so AQA for the subjects they did AQA for, then Edexcel etc.

The total marks will be on the results paper though next to their grades so they can sort of see where they are relative to the grade boundaries.

Teachers will have a breakdown of their makes per exam paper though for all subjects, that they can ask staff for it (also email if at home) or also request their scripts to see or just to look through.

Lots of subjects have multiple paper combinations which have different codes and different grade boundaries (think something like R/S with lots of different paper options) so you need to know these codes in advance.
Many students don’t know their exam board, never mind the paper codes. But they could find that stuff this week - from their sheet/email of exam entries received before exams or from past papers etc.
Def worth getting that stuff now and not rummaging for it on Thurs.
Schools and Colleges obviously know this stuff and will have looked at it before students come in. They also have access to breakdowns of marks by Q for each paper. This is only available to the centre and can be useful in thinking about review of marking.

When it all goes right and students are into a Firm they’re happy with, stuff is straightforward and smooth and school/college don’t need to do anything.

It’s when things aren’t quite so good and Firm is missed or Firm and Insurance is missed, or quite simply there’s disappointment about a grade and they’d like to understand the breakdown of marks a bit more, that schools and colleges have access to info that can really help.

On results day, it can be overwhelming. A UCAS update to say Firm has rejected but Insurance accepted …..but no immediate info from school or college about grades.
Well you don’t know if you met the Insurance offer or if you didn’t meet that either and they still took you. You might decide there’s something better on Clearing, but you can’t ring them without knowing your grades. You might want to know if you just missed your Firm and so consider a review of marking and want to let them know you’re going that. There’s lots of options and decisions. And the point is, some of it requires a clear head and rational thinking and access to some info and passwords and module numbers etc which might not be easy, esp if you’re a bit upset or don’t know all the info.

Make a list ahead of Thursday.

• A level subjects, boards, paper numbers/codes
• GCSE results and bosrds
• UCAS number and password.
• School email and password
• Any account numbers and passwords for firm, insurance
• Any account details for accommodation portals
• Tel no and email for firm and ins uni and times Clearing open on Thurs and Fri
• The same for one or 2 possible Clearing options
• Check you know how school or college will release results and time and time school or college open. If the info not available, get in touch to find out on Monday.
• Try to have a conversation about if they are happy with Firm if they get it,if they are happy with Insurance if they get it, if they want to look to ‘trade up’ in Clearing, take a gap year, if they will want to get paper marks and grade boundaries.
• Consider if you’re happy to jump in the car to go to visit a Clearing uni on Thurs or Fri.

And hopefully none of it(or v little - you will need to access ucas and school communication) will be needed, but better to be prepared.

No-one wants to start doing all this on Thurs morning or when disappointed with results.

@TheLivelyViper thank you so much! Mine & DD's laptop, phone etc are going to be on full whack on Thursday!! This thread is great so we can at least focus on the key issues.

Yes I agree with @WombatChocolate find the codes for any subjects like English Lit, History, R.S ahead of time. I'd look at past mock papers and their specifications as they should have these in a subject folder etc or check on the schools website - it may be under curriculum or something similar.

Though that being said I think by A-level most students do know their exam boards at least and can work out codes. Depending on subject it can look different - so for History AQA it's the letter for Paper 1 and the letter for Paper 2 - so CN, or DE - that's their combo. Again for English Lit look for either A or B often for A-level.

And this is where our private school falls short. I’ve read through the info PDF and no one is available in person. Four members of staff have provided phone numbers for 120 kids and heads of dept are contactable by email. FFS. We went to DD’s school in person - also independent but a different school - and everyone was there. We were given a quiet room to phone the unis and the admissions team were great.

Current school says “do it yourself whatever, thanks for the £30kpa day fees now F off.”

I tried so hard to get DS into the local sixth form college but DS and DH weren’t having it. Let’s hope he gets his grades 😬

DC1's college is open at 8.00, with lots of staff on hand. Attendance isn't compulsory, and with Y13 being around 1700 students I assume most don't, but it's great to have this option. DC1 and two friends want to go in so I've agreed to get them over there by 8.30 at the latest. I now feel oddly responsible for the other two young people as well, and I've said to DC1 that if any one of the three needs some support we'll all have to stay.

That's very kind of you though, I'm sure they'll appreciate just having someone there if it does go a little bit wrong or they need any extra support to look through clearing unis etc.

Ds has to collect his results at 9am on Thursday, all of the teachers will be there for support apparently and he’s decided not to look at UCAS or emails before he picks his results up. Dh and I both have this week off and he wants us and dd to go in with him. He isn’t too nervous at the moment, he fairly certain of at least getting his insurance choice, although he really wants his firm. I’ve bought him a ‘proud of you’ card ready for afterwards, and a copy of Oh The Places You’ll Go, which made me a bit emotional when I read it. We’ll take him for lunch after we’ve dealt with anything necessary, and he’s requested curry for dinner

Starting to feel a bit sick all the time now! DD school (state comp) is fab to be fair. Subject teachers and SLT available on site on Thursday for support. They go in to collect but as PP said they can go into private corners to open them.
Same grades for DD for firm (Leeds) and insurance (Birmingham) but she really doesn’t want Birmingham so has been looking at clearing . OP is so right: there has to be a better way than this surely?

Im sure I should know this but I need to check:
If ds misses his form but gets his insurance, if he wants to look at clearing options does he need to reject the insurance to start the process? Don’t want him to lose the insurance then not get the preferred clearing option either.
Also if a remark was requested, does the uni of their firm choice have to accept them if grades change?