Results Day 2025: How to Support the Young People in Your Lives
The anticipation leading up to results day can be quite intense. It may be that the young people you care for are incredibly nervous, or it might it’s you that’s worried about what lies ahead.
Results day will answer the questions you’ve had for months. But as we know, life isn’t always that easy, and results day can sometimes create more questions than it does answers. Especially when it doesn’t go to plan.
It’s all in the preparation
By this point, what’s done is done. The grades cannot be changed. That’s why preparing for different circumstances is key during the lead up to results day.
Whatever the results, one thing that we can control is how we deal with the repercussions with sensitivity and efficiency.
Even when there is for cause for celebration, the fast tempo of the day can feel overwhelming. Receiving the results and then immediately going into planning mode is a heavy responsibility. Organising what’s coming next can take hours, days or even weeks and it will quickly consume your life for a time. This can be emotionally taxing on all parties, as so much change is happening so fast.
Talk it out
Before the big day, having an honest conversation with your young people about their results and what comes next can be helpful to everyone.
You may have zero concerns about their grades and already have a rough idea of what their results will look like. If this is the case, then that’s great.
However, the conversation is still worth having. Self-doubt always tends to appear when we are stressed. The pressure we place on ourselves to do well, whatever that looks like, can really warp our perspective. Something that is manageable, feels unfixable in the moment.
It’s always worth checking that your young person doesn’t feel this way, and if they do, remind them that they are supported during this time.
Having this chat also provides you with the time to discuss alternative plans. Maybe the line of sight is not as clear for the young person you care for. You’re unsure of what grades they will get, or they simply haven’t got a plan yet.
Kickstarting this process might not be easy, especially if they’re unsure of what to do. But ensuring they understand what their options are is a start, it also avoids rushing into a decision post results day when the pressure really hits.
Planning the Day
For the day to go as smoothly as possible, pre planning your results day agenda is probably the best approach.
Understanding what it all means
In recent years, there’s been changes to the marking system, this can be confusing when we’re used to the model that was used during our education.
Get familiar with it before the day, so understanding the results will be easier.
Collecting the results
Now that we live in a digital age, many young people open their results at home or wherever they are on the day. Meaning the big rush to get to the school or college in time to open that dreaded big envelope is no longer the only way people get their results.
But many young people do still open their results in person. There is something uniting about opening your results amongst your peers and marking an end to this chapter with a final goodbye or see you later.
To avoid a mad rush, aim to get to the building early. It’s likely that it will be very busy, and if you’re driving, the last thing you want to be doing is driving in circles around a carpark trying to find a space. There are more important things you’d rather be thinking about.
It’s likely that the educational provider you’re getting results from has some guidance on this on their website or social media, make sure you’re keeping up to date with any updates regarding this.
The next steps
The results are in. After months of wondering, you know now how it all went. Now this is where that conversation we discussed earlier will really come in handy.
This is when all that planning will come into action. This could be finally confirming your young person’s place on the program they wanted to do for years. It might be looking at those alternatives that you spoke about. It may be the day for nothing else, and your role is to simply reassure and support. Ignore the social posts and accept the circumstances for what they are. There is always tomorrow to make plans.
Good luck with results day in 2025 – and remember that there are lots of options out there for the young people in your life.
