What comes next: results day

18th July 2022

Results day isn’t too far away now – but do you know what to do when the day comes?

You might be feeling a lot of different emotions as you get closer to results day:

Excited to celebrate with your friends and teachers
Nervous about getting results that aren’t what you expected
Worried about moving on to your next steps
Happy that your exams have finished and you can enjoy the summer

However you’re feeling, remember that you’re not alone and everyone else who is waiting for their results will probably be feeling the same way that you are.

So, once you’ve got your results, what comes next?
Celebrating
The first thing you should do is celebrate!
Whatever your results are, you’ve worked really hard and you should be proud of the effort that you’ve put in.
Exams can be very stressful. You might have spent a lot of time worrying about them, so make sure you celebrate the end of your exams first!

People celebrate in all different ways, but some things you could do to celebrate are:
Go out for a meal with your family or friends
Have some friends over for an exam results celebration
Do something you love, like going to the cinema or going bowling
Take lots of photos so you can remember your celebrations

If you’ve finished Year 11...
By now, you will probably already know what you will be doing when September arrives.

Lots of students will be continuing their education at college or sixth form. If your school has a sixth form, you might have chosen to stay there, or you might be starting at a new college.
There are a wide range of courses you can take at colleges and sixth forms as you begin the next level up in your education, including foundation learning courses, BTEC courses, and A-Levels.
The best way to decide what the right courses are for you is to speak to your teachers and people that you trust about your options.
If you’re staying at your school’s sixth form, talk to the teachers who will be taking your lessons next year. They’ll be able to give you some advice about how to feel prepared.
If you’re going to a new college and feeling nervous about being somewhere you’re not familiar with, see if your parents can arrange a tour of the school and what classrooms you’ll be in before the school year starts. That way, you won’t be feeling lost when September comes!
You can also choose to start a traineeship, apprenticeship or supported internship. See the box on the next page for more on these!

If you’ve finished Year 13...

Time off
And if you’re taking some well-deserved time off, make sure you don’t waste it! Having time off after education is a great time to think about what you really want to do in the future. You can spend some time volunteering, learning new skills, and making a plan for your future. Whatever path you have chosen, an exciting future lies ahead for you!

Staring Work
There are lots of ways to get straight into work once you finish year 13 – including traineeships, apprenticeships and supported internships which you can read about below. The National Careers Service can help you to write your CV, covering letters and fill in application forms to boost your confidence and make sure you stand out to employers.

University
If you’ve chosen to go to university, you’ll find out if you’ve been accepted on the same day as you receive your results. If you have, congratulations! That means all your hard work has paid off!
If your results weren’t as good as you had hoped and you haven’t been accepted onto the university course you chose, you can apply for Clearing - this is where you talk to other universities to see if they have the space to accept you on their courses.
You can apply for Clearing spaces from 2PM on results day via UCAS – the same online system you used to apply for university before. If you get stuck-don’t worry! Ask a parent or teacher for help.

Traineeships, Apprenticeships & Supported Internships
If you’ve chosen to find an apprenticeship, traineeship, or supported internship, that’s great! These will help you to gain some hands-on skills while you continue learning. You can find and apply for both traineeships and apprenticeships on the Government website, and apply for supported internships through your school or college.

Traineeships
If you want to get into an apprenticeship or a job, but need to learn some new skills first, a traineeship could be the right option for you. These are employability courses with a work placement which help you get ready for a job or apprenticeship. They can last from 6 weeks to one year but usually do not last longer than 6 months. Traineeships are unpaid but often lead to job interviews and apprenticeship placements.

Apprenticeships
If you want to get into an apprenticeship or a job, but need to learn some new skills first, a traineeship could be the right option for you. These are employability courses with a work placement which help you get ready for a job or apprenticeship. They can last from 6 weeks to one year but usually do not last longer than 6 months. Traineeships are unpaid but often lead to job interviews and apprenticeship placements.

Supported Internships
Supported internships are structured study programmes that are based around you and your needs. You’ll intern for an employer, gaining important skills and knowledge that will help you find employment later on. While a supported internship is unpaid, the goal is to support you into paid work at the end of the internship. Supported internships can also help you study toward qualifications such as Maths or English if you need them.

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