After all the months of working, planning, and preparing, results day can be daunting for students, parents, and guardians alike.
Here are 10 top tips for any parent or guardian who has a young person receiving their results. They’ve been compiled by Christine Brown, Vice-Principal Teaching & Learning of Northern Regional College and Chair of the College Curriculum Directors’ Group.
- Have conversations ahead of results day
Talk to your child about their plans and be positive about the milestones they have reached. Give your child the opportunity to voice their hopes and worries about the future whilst being there to offer advice and guidance. Reassure them there are many options open to them they may not have previously considered, especially through their local Further Education (FE) College. - Be aware of all the options
Quite often, young people will have a very firm idea of the path they need to follow upon leaving school and will see anything else as a failure. Don’t be afraid to talk to them about all the options that will help them get to the next stage in their education. Conversations like this allow you to work together to come up with a plan, so your child sees results day as something to be welcomed rather than feared. - Find out more about alternative pathways outside of school
Local FE Colleges are a first-choice destination for learners who want the edge when it comes to their careers. With close links to employers, industry-experienced lecturers, and top-class facilities, many thousands of students have already chosen to study at their local FE College this September.
For those learners still deciding on their next steps after having received their results, taking a visit to one of the upcoming open and enrolment days at their local FE College in late August will enable them to find out about the wide range of academic and vocational pathways now open to them for September enrolment. Whether it’s beginning a Level 3 vocational pathway that’s the equivalent of A Levels, commencing a Higher Education pathway which is valued by employers and which enable progression to university, or an NI Traineeship which offers experience in the workplace, valued skills, and the equivalent of five GCSEs (Grades A-C), there’s a pathway to suit everyone in their local FE College. - Get ready for Clearing
Parents of students receiving their A Level and BTEC results might be interested in knowing that in addition to the clearing system operated through UCAS, all of Northern Ireland’s FE Colleges operate their own direct application system. Every FE College has a full list of available courses on their websites now and will host information events throughout August for their Higher Education courses. You can also give your local FE College a call or pop in and see one of their advisors. - Consider a vocational pathway to success
If your child isn’t sure that the university experience is right for them, they can still undertake a vocational pathway to obtain higher-level skills and qualifications. Higher-level vocational qualifications focus on the knowledge and skills that people need for a particular job, including in-demand vocational roles in Health and Social Care, Computing, IT, Digital Marketing, Manufacturing, and more. - Consider Higher Level Apprenticeships
Consider talking to your child about doing a Higher Level Apprenticeship (HLA) where they can earn as they learn and achieve professional-level qualifications without paying Higher Education tuition fees. If they’ve completed A Levels, BTEC, or equivalent, an HLA offers the opportunity to gain quality training and a recognised higher qualification while in paid employmentfrom Level 4 to Level 7 (Masters degree). Further Education Colleges offer Higher Level Apprenticeships in a wide range of priority areas like Civil Engineering, Industrial Science, and Accountancy. - Talk to a careers adviser
During the results period, advisers in our FE College Careers teams can give you and your child unbiased advice, helping to match their ambitions with a course and career. There are so many exciting options out there. - Celebrate the result
Results day is a rite of passage for young people. Regardless of the result, this is the start of a new chapter in their life that should be celebrated. How many of us took the path we thought we would at age 16? - Be the voice of calm
Results day can be a very worrying and anxious time for your child. Instead of rushing into a decision surrounding your child’s future, be the voice of calm and weigh up all options before making any decision. - Keep things in perspective
There can be pressure on young people to see this day as either a success or a failure. Remind your child that this isn’t the case and, while their results may directly relate to what they do next, it does not decide what they can achieve in the future.
There is more information regarding opportunities at Northern Ireland’s Further Education Colleges available on this website or you can also contact your local college.