GCSE Results Day
For many people, August Bank Holiday means a nice relaxing weekend to sit in the garden or in the park and enjoy the end of Summer. For 15 and 16 year olds however, this weekend is full of dead and fear. GCSE results are almost always released on the Thursday before Bank Holiday weekend.
GCSE results day is one of the first defining moments in a child’s life, where they are responsible for their own future, which pretty much makes them an adult. Many school-leavers will have a plan of what they want to do ‘post-16′, and many of these plans will be dependent on achieving certain GCSE grades. Whether it’s A-Levels, a GNVQ, an apprenticeship, or even a job; many youngsters will only get in if they obtain grades that are required of them. The marking system runs from A*, being the highest achievable grade, to a G, which is the lowest grade above a U, which is a fail.
Nearly all university places require applicants to have managed to get at least a C grade in the core subjects of maths and English. Most college or sixth form places will require potential students to achieve at least five A to C grade results. For those who achieve their desired grades on results day, there is a feeling of pure elation that they are safe in the knowledge their life can progress to the next stage. Parents will often buy their children a gift such as a second hand macbook or a ticket to a music festival.
For those students who don’t manage to get the results they require, there is always the option of re-sitting exams. Most colleges will still allow a student to join a course on the condition they pass their resit exam.
