With Year 13 students gearing up to receive their A-level results later this summer, they will be starting to feel more worried about opening their envelopes and finding out whether they have achieved the grades they were aiming for.

As teachers and leaders, we need to make sure that we are on hand to offer them the support they need and signpost them in the right direction for further advice.

Before A-level results day: the students

To minimise stress on the day itself, students should be signposted a week beforehand - via email or your school’s social media accounts - to the support available.

On the Ucas website, for example, students can listen to the Clearing Choices podcasts; the National Careers Service has comprehensive information on routes to further study or work; and The Student Room also has some great support materials.

As well as highlighting these opportunities, emails or social media communications should include practical information that students can refer back to on the day. For example, information about the relevant exam boards’ priority appeals processes, a flow diagram to explain options available regarding university offers, the National Careers Service hotline number (0800 100 900) and the website address for Ucas.

It’s also worth reminding students of the timings on the day for accessing or collecting results - and, if they are coming into school, to attend with a charged mobile phone, pen and paper, as well as their Ucas ID number, should they need it.

Wellbeing should be a focus throughout the period ahead of results day, too. Signpost students and parents/carers to resources such as Place2Be and remind them of the importance of sleep and exercise/healthy eating. There are also great options for supporting the transition to university, which many students will also find a source of anxiety, such as Anna Freud’s webinars.

Before results day: the staff

It’s not just the students who need to be briefed, but the teachers, too.

If you are a leader, make sure you send all of the above information to staff who may be advising students on the day, and remind them to maintain a calm and positive tone with students and parents.

Students don’t need to hear that “exam grades don’t matter” or “my poor grades never did me any harm” messages when they are trying to establish where they will be spending the next three years of their lives.

More on A-level results:

• A-level results day 2023: everything you need to know
• A levels: How to appeal an exam grade
• How do A-level grade boundaries work?

When you see the results on Wednesday, it’s worth identifying students who may need additional support ahead of time: for example, those who have received unexpectedly poor or brilliant results, those who may not have applied to university at all, or those who are vulnerable or have additional needs. Staff can then be briefed to ensure that support is available for those who require it.

Consider the practical set-up of results collection, too - it is sensible to set aside a quiet space, with computer access, so that students who wish to access clearing on-site can do so.

On results day

So, what are students’ options if they do not meet the terms of their “firm” offer?

Firstly, encourage them to check their Ucas Hub - some universities may still accept students who just miss their grades. If this is not the case, there are many options available, and it is worth reassuring students that, in such a crowded system, this is a perfectly normal experience and they will go on to be successful and enjoy university somewhere else.

If that isn’t the case, these are their options.

1. Appeals

Some students may feel that they have a case for appealing their results with the exam board. This requires a careful discussion - they need to be aware that appeals can result in grades going down as well as up.

If they decide to go ahead, the student should contact their chosen university to inform it that they are lodging a “priority appeal” and enquire whether the university is willing to hold a place awaiting the outcome. This is not guaranteed and is at the university’s discretion.

2. Insurance choice

If a student misses out on their “firm” offer but meets the terms of their “insurance” choice, they will automatically be allocated a place at their “insurance” university.

3. Clearing

If a student misses out on the grades for both their “firm” and “insurance” offers, they can access clearing.

Students can search all courses in clearing on the Ucas website, or they can access their Clearing Plus matches in their application - these are courses that Ucas has matched to the student so they may help to narrow down choices and allow students to act quickly.

Once students have researched and found a course they like, they should phone the relevant clearing number. It is useful to have a pen and paper, Ucas ID and their results slips on hand.

Reassure students that the clearing process is a supportive one; call handlers are experienced and are seeking to match students to courses wherever possible.

Clearing is also an option for students who do better than anticipated. It is possible to change your mind and decline your place on the Ucas Hub. If this applies, encourage the student to research their desired course and phone the university to check whether it will award a place via clearing, before they decline their firm choice. Once they have clicked “decline my place”, it is irreversible with immediate effect.

4. Alternative offer

If a student misses out on a university they have their heart set on attending, they can phone the university and ask if they would offer a place on a similar/alternative course.

Alternative courses may already appear in the Ucas Hub as “unconditional course change” - if this is the case, the student usually has five days to research the newly offered course before accepting.

5. Deferral

If a student has decided they do not want to go to university this year, they can phone their chosen university and ask to defer. Many universities will allow this, although it may depend on how competitive the course is.

6. Gap year

Those who defer (or withdraw from the Ucas process altogether) may decide to take a year out. There are many useful and impressive things students can do during their gap year, including travel, internships, paid work, volunteering with the International Citizen Service or other volunteering opportunities - they can check the options via Ucas.

7. Apprenticeships

Students should be aware that apprenticeships can be advertised at any time of year, so they should check the available options regularly. Students can find out more via Ucas or through the government’s apprenticeships website.

8. Retaking the year

Some students may wish to retake one or all of their qualifications, for any number of reasons. If this is the case, students should check with their school or college whether they will allow this and should also check that their desired university courses allow applications from students with retakes.

For some very competitive courses, this may not be allowed, such as medicine, veterinary science or dentistry.

9. Reapplying to Ucas 2024

For students who have completely changed their minds, or whose circumstances have changed, they can withdraw from the Ucas 2023 process and reapply with their results for next year.

Claire Green is the director of sixth form at Northampton School for Girls