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Results day: celebrating achievement and dealing with disappointment

1st August 2024

Now that we’re several weeks into the school summer break, your attention will soon be turning towards one of the most important days in the academic year: results day.

For some early career teachers who may have only taught a Year 11 class for the first time this year, thinking about results day might be anxiety-inducing. But the truth is: no matter how experienced, all teachers get restless before results day.

So, how do secondary school teachers navigate results day? From celebrating achievement, dealing with disappointment, and moving forward.

Celebrating achievements on results day

The best part of results day is being able to revel in the achievements of your students and seeing their joy in-person. Having formed a bond with your students throughout the year, you’ve seen their journey first-hand and know in which areas they’ve had to overcome hurdles.

Especially if this is your first results day, it could be emotional for you as well as your students. So make sure you’re prepared for those emotions on both sides, and congratulate your students on their achievements.

Dealing with disappointment

Whilst we hope the majority of your students will be pleased with their results, there will inevitably be some who are disappointed with the outcome of their hard work. Helping these students to navigate their feelings in the moment can be one of the most important things you do as a teacher. Here are three things to consider:

  • Listen and be available – Simply being visible and available on the day goes a long way. Students may take some time to process what their results mean for them. But your presence and willingness to listen on a pivotal day for your students shows that you are invested in their outcomes.
  • Discuss their options – It can be difficult for a disappointed teenager to see the bigger picture beyond GCSEs. But by hearing that there are numerous paths they can take going forward, this can help ease any anxiety and kickstart a new mindset.
  • Remain positive – Although it is important to have an honest and authentic conversation, maintaining a positive spin on the discussion can help keep your students calm in what can be an emotional day. Be sure to highlight the better outcomes and focus on all the possibilities that lie ahead.

However, it isn’t just students who can feel disappointment on results day. Especially where the average grade of your class isn’t where you hoped it would be, some teachers can internalise this as a personal failing.

But it’s important for teachers to have all the information to hand before reflecting. What is the national picture for your subject? Was it simply a bad day for a handful of students? This can then help guide your reflection.

Moving forward after results day

Many exam boards such as OCR share examiners’ reports following results day. These contain insight, knowledge and feedback from the exam series which may help you to prepare for the next academic year. In addition, you’ll likely be able to access exemplar candidate answers as well as detailed breakdowns of how marks have been awarded.

Last year, we met with some of our Scholars virtually about their experiences and feelings dealing with results day. You can read our article about this meeting, which features a recording of the discussion around results day.