A question about GCSE results day

[PuceisNotGreenWhoKnew]

I have to book all my annual leave in advance so booked gcse results day, and the Friday off, with the assumption that I’d be needed to do administrative school things.

As the date has got closer I’m wondering exactly what I’ll need to do! DD will get her results by email, she’s got a choice of a number of sixth forms or colleges depending on her grades but none of them want to see her, they do enrolment online.

DD tells me most of her friends will be at Reading on results day. If it’s the case that I’m not needed I’d like to cancel my two days leave as I can use it next leave year.

What have I forgotten about, not realised or misunderstood?

I think the only thing you could need to do was if she didn't get into any of her choices and there needed to be a scramble to find her another place.
If that is unlikely, then I think I would cancel leave.

My only role was giving my son a lift to his 6th form to enrol. He had to go in person to be photographed for his ID. I waited in the car

I booked it off at DD’s request. She’s a worrier and was concerned that she wouldn’t get in to her first choice A level subjects - she wanted me there for admin support in case we needed to talk/negotiate with the sixth form team. In the end she did miss a grade and it was 50/50 whether her current school would allow her to do biology or not - thankfully in the end we spoke to the head of sciences who decided to let her in regardless of the grade. I was glad that I was there to support her as it was quite a stressful/emotional few hours for her! All worked out well in the end though.

Depends on what they’re doing next but at our school… (where all secondaries stop at year 11s and none have sixth forms)…

Come in to get results about 10am. If all has gone as expected they do nothing more - enrolment at college is the following week as part of ‘welcome week’. Or they confirm to their apprenticeship place that they will be starting as planned (if they haven’t already started). If results are lower than expected, some students get in touch with the college on results day to arrange a plan B if necessary. Others just wait until welcome week to sort it out then.

Lots of students don’t come in at all - they’ve signed something to say someone else can collect on their behalf or they get the results in the post.

I don’t think you need two days off unless there’s any indication that things have gone badly wrong.

Thank you, yes good points regarding the emotional support and expecting the unexpected regarding the GCSE results.

All the enrolments seem to be online, and the following week. But if she misses a grade and doesn’t get what she needs for various courses I’d kick myself if I didn’t try and talk to the schools.

I think I will keep the Thursday as leave and hope it’s an uneventful day off and cancel the Friday.

I would keep the Thursday off and do something nice with your DD after she gets her results to celebrate the hard work she's put in.

Good idea! Although I do hope she gets to hang out with the friends who aren’t at Reading.

My son didn't get his first choice because he was one grade out. To say he was devastated isn't an understatement. I spent a good few hours on the phone to his current school, first choice and second choice sixth form schools. After a couple of hours talking to all 3 schools, he got a place at his 2nd choice. He was more than happy and then buggered off out with his mates to celebrate and leaving me emotionally exhausted 😂The drink at the pub that evening never tasted so good!. I couldn't have done anything had I been at work that day. I definitely advise having results day off work

I suppose that is the sort of scenario I was thinking of @midlifeattheoasis . But I’m second guessing myself now, as if she doesn’t get the grades I sort of assumed that was it, they couldn’t accept her as they haven’t treat all the kids equally via the admission code. But maybe reality is more flexible? I’ll keep the day off and hope it’s drama free, but be available for support if needed.

The only thing I had to do was email her results to her new Sixth Form, which she could have done in my absence. I don’t see the need to take the day off unless you want to be there to congratulate her when she gets them.

I had a similar wobble over it last week and spoke to other parents on the WAG and my colleague whose DD did GCSEs last year.

They all said that even if there's unlikely to be nasty surprises (I think I have priced in that Geography is probably going to be a disaster) and you don't have to scurry around enrolling anywhere, it's still potentially an emotional day and a bit of a rite of passage.

So I'm sticking with going in with her.

Results can be picked up from 9am at my child’s school.

I have planned to go with her but she’s unsure if her friends will all go together.