Until unis have the A level grades (a few days before students get them - start of what’s known as embargo period) - which are the vast majority of applicants compared to IB and PreU which release result early.
Until they have A Level results they can’t know the proportions who met their offers or which near miss students they might take or not take, or how many places to offer in Clearing and at what grades.
So whilst you can look at clearing from early July, a lot of what might be available is probably for international students. Some unis start to update their courses the day before results and what clearing offers will be. Others do it on the evening before results day. Others won’t put the info on until the morning of results day. The day before is very useful.
And for anyone with students in yr12 it’s worth looking at this info on uni sites the day before results and results day. Look at uni sites - better than Clearing site.
The other useful thing on uni sites in the day or 2 before results, is they can then say if accom will be available and guaranteed for Clearing candidates. This is importsnt and can help students identify potential Plan B. Quite a lot will use Clearing guaranteed accommodation to attract students. However, not all are able to. It might not be the final deciding factor of which Clearing options to go for, but is a factor:
Funally, Clearing can sometimes deliver a real ‘bargain’ at a top uni. If you get this on results day, you might accept right away. If not, know you can call lots of unis and receive a number of offers (verbal first, followed up by email confirmation) and then take a few hours to dwell on it or even visit before the offers run out, usually 24 hrs later. So someone might need 3 or 4 pretty busy hours on the phones getting offers in before lunchtime - and then could sit back and think it through for a few hours.
It’s fine to be thinking about it now. Forewarned is for-armed. Students gearing up for A Levels aren’t in the right place to be thinking about it now. The Plan B planning is probably worth students starting to think about 2 weeks in advance if results and looking at thoroughly in the couple of days before for the detail. But it’s good that you’ve got this knowledge now. No need to be sharing it with DC now - they need to focus on their firm and insurance as they approach A Levels. But after exams and after some fun times, as results start to approach they get in the space to think about it….or certainly need to at that point. Some have their heads in the sand and actually their parents do too. Sometimes it’s only in results day that students or parents start to engage with all this stuff …and really it’s too late to get the very best outcomes in most cases. So Op, getting your knowledge now so you can help DC think through it and get their ducks in a row just before results is great. And hopefully it’s not needed anyway as everything will work out as planned. But over 80% of predicted grades are wrong with most too generous, so lots do find themselves in Clearing. Plus increasingly, savvy students who actually achieve their firm offer are looking at Clearing to trade-up to better unis rather than accepting their firm. Bargains are there to be had. But although growing in popularity, most who achieve their firm or insurance don’t even look at Clearing. Being aware of even better options could be worth it for more.