GCSE results

[ccl]

My dc is very keen on going to Australia to visit relatives straight after his gcse's are done and not being back until school commences in Sep. My question is whether it's important to be around at home to pick up the results and - worst case - ask for remarking? Is it common that remarking needs to be done and can you, in that case, ask for it from overseas?

[hermanmunster]

you can be away from school, I think some schools allow a relative to pick them up (student asked to sign to agree to this). I think the remark deadline is just after starting back to school so there may not be such a hurry - the high speed remarks are reserved for kids waiting on UCAS places who have to have result by Aug 31st or lose the place.

You just have to be sure that your dc meets the requirements for entry to the sixth form

[Guest55]

Some schools require you to register and confirm your sixth form place so do check with the school what their requirements are.

There might be an issue if grades for chosen A levels are missed or if the sixth form grade requirements are not met. A back-up plan would help but, again, they might need the student to register in person.

I would recommend that he is back for results day which is not long before schools go back anyway - it really is a day not to be missed to be with fellow students to celebrate or commiserate.

[Daogroupie]

Friends of my dd regret not being there. It is the very last thing you do together as a year group. There is absolutely no way my dd would have wanted to miss it. DG

[Tolstoy]

My DS struggled to get hold of his AS results this summer and wasn't able to pick up his GCSE result until he was able to go to the school in person. It made it very difficult to plan what to do next. Fortunately we were able to sort things out for him in the end but I will always ensure DC are able to collect results in future. A H/T teacher also told us if we want to collect the results this summer we have to have DCs permission. Possibly something you need to be aware of if that is your intention.

[Sally-Anne]

A fortnight in Australia given up in favour of picking up an envelope from school and a quick "hurrah" with friends who you are likely to spend the next 2 years with?

Back in the day, our results came in the post, and there was none of the hoo-hah about flocking to the school to collect them. My poor parents had to stare at my "O" Level results envelope for a week or more because I was abroad doing something more interesting instead and I banned them from opening it!

Make it clear to the school that he won't be around and arrange to collect the results on his behalf. As long as he isn't likely to be very borderline for the sixth form, there is nothing that you can't sort out on his behalf while he is surfing on Bondi Beach or herding sheep in the outback.

The remark deadline for GCSEs is around the 3rd week of September, so there is no time pressure there.

[tiffinboys]

May be take the holidays as soon as the exams finished and come back before the results day?
Well, just a thought.

[Sally-Anne]

Maybe deal with the results and continue with the holiday of a lifetime?

Sorry, but I just cannot understand the obsession with "collecting the results from school". We live in the age of the internet, where communication can be had in a dozen different ways in the event that things don't work out as hoped.

[ToadMum]

At least one of the exam boards allows access online (although the school has to sign up for this, I can't remember which one it is and I have no idea whether the others do it as well, I'm afraid).

They're your son's results, though, not yours, so I would be surprised if the school doesn't insist on a signed request from your son (some ask for it to be lodged with the school before the end of the summer term) if he wants anyone else to collect them.

Registering for the sixth form may be less of an issue if he is intending to stay on at the same school, but if any of his options is a new school, one of you needs to check well in advance whether registering online / by phone / by proxy will be okay. For the two new schools where DS1 held offers, the offer would be withdrawn if not confirmed on results day.

[ccl]

Thanks for your wise advice. Dc will ask at school what is possible and when remarking deadline is.