Well done to all students collecting their GCSE results today

Students will be receiving their GCSE results today across Blackburn with Darwen.

Individual schools and colleges have made their own arrangements on how the young people will receive their results following Covid safe guidelines. We strongly recommend that schools don’t encourage students to get their results in person given the current high rates of Covid in the Borough.

2020 has been a difficult year for all of our children and teenagers with many changes brought in place because of the coronavirus pandemic including the cancellation of exams.

There is a wide range of support available for all Blackburn with Darwen students as they receive their exam results.

Following the cancellation of the summer 2020 exams due to coronavirus, students are being given calculated grades this year to enable them to progress to further study or employment.

There has been a lot of national attention on the grading process and the situation is still developing at a national level. There has been a number of changes announced following the A Level results announced last week.

Cllr Julie Gunn, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said:

Firstly, I would like to say a huge congratulations to all of Blackburn with Darwen’s hardworking students who are collecting their GCSE results. 2020 will go down in our memories as a particularly difficult and challenging year and this pandemic meant that young people across the country missed out on the opportunity to sit their exams – exams that they had worked so hard for – but I’m very proud of how all our young people have handled the unprecedented situation.

Today marks the end of one chapter and the start of another exciting one and I wish you all best of luck with the next steps in your career, whether you choose to continue into further education, apprenticeships or other training, or employment.”

Jo Siddle, Head of Education, added:

Results day has been particularly challenging this year and it is always an anxious time as young people wait to see how well they have done in their exams.  We know that this has been an extremely challenging year as they were unable to sit their exams so today will bring uncertainty to some of our young people.”

Jayne Ivory, Director of Children’s, Schools and Education, said:

This has been a highly unusual and challenging year due to the coronavirus where the GCSE results haven’t followed the usual process. We want to congratulate all our students, teachers, staff and families for all their hard work and resilience during an extremely difficult time.”

Support available

Locally in Blackburn with Darwen, the New Directions Careers Service is available to offer their support to both Year 11 and Year 13 students following their GCSE and A Level results. They can be contacted for one to one impartial careers guidance, have all of the latest information on further study, training and employment, and can support with applications and CVs.

The team can be contacted on: 01254 666424 or emailed at newdirections@blackburn.gov.uk. The service can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by searching ‘new directions’.

The following organisations are also offering support and advice to students on where to go next following receipt of their exam results.

The National Careers service will be operating a temporary Exam Results Helpline from Thursday 13 August, to provide information on appeals, complaints, or on the next steps once students have received their results. Students can speak to careers advisor by calling 0800 100 900.  The service will be available from 8am to 10pm 7 days a week. Calls are free from landlines and most mobiles.  Further information can be found on the national careers service website.

The Ofqual student support phone line (0300 303 3344) is available for students who want to find out more about how they were graded, the autumn exams series and to make an appeal or raise a concern about bias or discrimination.

Lines open from 9am to 5pm weekdays, with extended hours during results weeks. Calls are charged at the standard network rate.  Additional information is available on the Government website including a student guide to post-16 qualification results and a summer 2020 qualification explainer tool.

UCAS can provide information on university admissions 0371 468 0 468.  Lines open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm, calls are charged at the standard network rate.  Information is available through their website.

For those students looking to improve English, maths or IT skills, the gov.uk website has details of the different local training and also offers information about apprenticeships.

Save the Student are offering online advice for sixth form and college students on the next steps to take if they are unhappy with their A-level results.

Mental health support is available through the following organisations

Visit the YoungMinds website or Text YM to 85258

Visit the Childline website, call 0800 1111 or visit their exam results support page

Students can call and ask for an emergency appointment through their GP surgery or call NHS 111.