Being on holiday for gcse results

[Buttercup82]

Were looking at going on holiday to florida next year (DDs choice). Weve got to go in the summer holidays but she has her GCSE results at the end. If we look at going at the beginning it's working out above our budget. Shes not bothered about getting her results while we're away but I'm concerned with enrolling her in college? Anyone else done this/had problems?

My apologies @MrsMop7
That will teach me to assume

Dd2 we were in Florida on results day. She was going to local FE college and it simply meant she was either going to do level 2 or level 3. Sorted it out when we got back.

MrsMop what IS the system in Scotland now? I am completely out of touch except that I know some results are coming out early August?

It used to be standards and highers - and you took highers at 17? What happens now?

To return to the OP, I also think you need to be around. But you could book for late June as exams will be over by then (but note that there is a contingency day which was 26th June this year in case exams need to be rescheduled).

The other option would be to go after 6th form enrolment day and before they actually start. For example, DS's enrolment day is 27th August but he doesn't start 6th form until 8th or 9th September (he still doesn't know which college he is going to, he attended two induction days and liked them both!) I realise both those options depend on whether you have other school-age children.

First and foremost, countless students are unavailable on GCSE results and countless colleges have multiple enrolment days as well as last minute enrolment right up to the first day of term. As a former law lecturer in FE (GCSE and A-Level) and having only very recently left, I can confirm that, while not ideal, I had many students start after term began. The general rule is within 3 weeks as, any later than that and too much has been missed. Just go on your holiday, your kid has been through enough already, it is perfectly normal to enrol after results day so long as the application is in before you go.

MrsMop what IS the system in Scotland now? I am completely out of touch except that I know some results are coming out early August?

Results day is the 6th August, the certificates come through the post, but kids can sign up for text and email too.

It used to be standards and highers - and you took highers at 17? What happens now?

It's national 5 and highers now. After the national 5's they have 2 optional years left, where they can do highers, more nat5 and/or advanced highers.

It means there can be 16, 17 & 18 year olds sitting highers. It's really flexible.

For the kids who don't get the results they wanted at nat5 to progress to higher, they just see the HOY the week school goes back and they rework the timetables. Some kids choose college and don't get the results to get in so return to school to try again.

It's basically really flexible. I had one who did both Nat5 and higher in both senior years and one who did all highers then 2 advanced highers anither higher and a Nat 5 in the final year

And countless students turn up late and find out that they've missed the boat.

Put bluntly if she's aiming for an FE college they'll always have a place. If she's aiming for an oversubscribed sixth form school or college or place in a grammar school sixth form being away could be a disaster.

Check before you book.

It's important to be there because they usually have careers advisors, head of sixth form there for discussions should your child have done better or worse than predicted.

My dd had had a complete turnaround of what she wanted to do post A levels about two weeks before results day. We took full advantage of sitting down and discussing what she needed to do regards choice of A levels.

We will be in Florida when my son's results come out this year. And my daughter took one in year 10. My daughters school is emailing her result to her and my mother is collecting my sons and emailing them to us. He is going into sixth form which has already been agreed. They are happy for him to bring his form back on the first day. He is emailing the completed sixth form bridging work they gave him to do before we go. It can be sorted. Schools say don't take them out of school in the terms so it is inevitable we have to go away in the holidays. And Florida is less crowded the last two weeks of August. Go and have a good time.

Hi there.. Just to reassure you, we're actually in Florida on GCSE results day this year and my son has just done his GCSEs... We have his grandparents picking up the results (emailed the school as written confirmation) and 1 of the colleges he has applied for just needs a copy on the day to secure his place but the other college (both 6th form) are happy to enrol him when we get back. There's many families who are away on results day... We're going to Skype on the day with his grandparents (probably about 4/5am florida time,9/10am UK time) when they open them for him so he's still the first to see them. He said he wasn't bothered when we booked it last year but now it's getting closer I wonder if he may have changed his mind. I think as long as the young person is the first to see there results and their hard work they've put in - alls good. Good luck with what you decide.

Hi!
I was away in Florida for results day last year. It was absolutely fine. I just let the college I was looking to enrol in know and they changed my enrolment date so I would be there for it. Also contact the school your child goes to and tell them you’re concerned, I also did this and they said they were happy to pass my results onto my chosen college to enrol and any backups as well as this so I didn’t miss anything. After this my college sent me an email confirming my place so I didn’t have to worry.
Hope this helps!

I think the point is that it depends on the school & what the DC is planning for the following year. In some places it would work, in others (ours) it wouldn't. You need to talk to the school/college.

It honestly depends on what she is planning to do after school. If it is to the school sixth form and she gets the correct results, fine. If it is the school sixth form and she doesn't get the grades, she will need to start exploring about other options. Before they fill up. That’s the issue. Speed.

Of she is just planning on getting a job after school, then it doesnt matter.

Id personally take her as soon as the last exam is finished, which will possibly be cheaper. Could be early june???

Have a look at her current school's website now, as they are likely to post something about collecting results next month, then take a look at her preferred 6th form to check out their enrolment process.

The only thing I noticed last year was that so many collected their results with their friends and families and there was a really supportive & celebratory atmosphere. Getting an email doesn't quite have the same feel to it.

Hi,

I am a mature student and this year I have just sat my GCSE's (again)! I will be away for results day, the same as yourself taking the cheaper option of going to Disney, so excited! My college will post mine if I do not collect. However, I do know you can have a designated person collect them with a letter from yourself ok by the school. Just check in with your school's admin and you should be fine. You are not doing anything wrong by not being there on results dayy.

Best Disney magic

Kelly

We are currently in Florida! As a post GCSE treat for Ds1. We usually come here in the last 2 weeks of August but came early because of the results.

Ds has applied to a heavily over subscribed 6th form. They have to collect their results then enrol the same day. Their school is a feeder for the sixth form along with a few other schools. If they don't enrol that day they lose their preferential status and have to queue up with everyone else on the Friday. All the places will have gone on Friday.

There are school staff on hand to help guide anyone who is unsure of what to do with their results.

So it depends on what choices your DD is doing afterwards but I wouldn't have booked holiday over results day.

OP, she might change her mind! Results day here is more than just picking up your envelope. My oldest dd wanted to go in with her friends and they went out to celebrate afterwards. My middle dd who gets her results this year is doing the same.

I wouldn't go away then personally.

Have always been away for results, GCSEs, AS and Alevels. They get emailed their results ( if they ask) so it's never been a problem and luckily ours knew they were solid so no worries about their results for them ( I was, they were oblivious to potentially not getting predicted grades). So it's possible.

When we were doing exams ( in 1970s) the school got them one day and you had to wait for results to be posted out. And some people got them days before others! Email helps

There is nothing that would make me miss results day, my DD has worked really hard and quite frankly, August 22nd is all about her. Holidays were booked for before (end of exams) and after the 22nd.

I will be there with her to celebrate or commiserate.

"Email helps"

Only is the school uses email for results. Some schools have a portal. Many, if not most, schools don't email or use a portal. It's either in person or by post.

DD's school was very strict about how results were sent out and categorically said that they would not email them.

If you missed results day at our school and hadn't left an SAE, you couldn't collect your results until the first day of term. We don't have schools with 6th forms, so you also missed enrolment at your chosen 6th form college.

tapasfortwo I'm genuinely surprised. This was about 10 years ago and the state school had email for all students. And students were asked if they wanted results emailed or to go in and collect them. We asked our kids if they wanted to be around for results and they didn't. So we booked holidays.

It's true Sooverthemill. DD took her GCSEs in 2016 and her A levels last year. Unless it is different this year they definitely don't email the results.

Amazed it's so fraught these days and that things still can't be done electronically! I only had to get C or above in Maths and English for my sixth form college, and even if I hadn't got that, I could have gone there, studied and resat Maths and English in the first year of A Levels. I literally just had to ring them to say I was coming, and formally enrol in September when we all started!

floribunda it depends on how oversubscribed the 6th form is. DD's school is oversubscribed. The local 6th form college isn't.

I don't understand why they don't use email either.

I wouldn't miss results day.

You'd be surprised at how many students have a change if heart about their exact A Level options on the day results come out - one they really couldn't predict in advance, but which arises dies to the results being better/worse in different subjects to they expected. This doesn't usually affect entry to 6th Form, but they need to be there to negotiate which specific subjects they take.

The school/college timetablers expect there to be movement in and out of subjects, but timetables can be tight and so often that movement all happens onnthebdaynor the day after. Appearing a week later to request a move from Biology to History for example might no longer be possible because of numbers, but probably would have been possible on the day or day after.

I just think being away removed some of your flexibility at a key time of educational choices. It maybe that your results are exactly as expected (rare to be totally as expected) and your wishes about course don't change at all, but why take the chance, when being there gives you so much more control about something pretty crucial, when timescales can be very important.