GCSE Results Day: Supporting Your Young Person Through the Emotions

GCSE Results Day can be a big moment in a young person's life. For some young people, today might be filled with excitement, relief and celebration. For others, it may bring disappointment, anxiety or uncertainty about what happens next. And for many, it may be a mixture of several emotions at once.

As a parent or carer, it can be difficult to know exactly what to say or do — particularly if your young person hasn't received the results they were hoping for. The most important thing to remember is that there is no 'right' way to feel about Results Day.

Results day can bring a whole range of emotions

It is easy to assume that someone who has achieved the grades they wanted will automatically feel happy, while someone who hasn't will feel disappointed.

In reality, emotions are rarely that straightforward. A young person who has achieved excellent results might feel relief after months of pressure, or even worry about what comes next. They might compare themselves with their friends and feel that their results aren't "good enough", despite doing incredibly well.

Someone who hasn't achieved the results they hoped for might experience disappointment, embarrassment, anger or sadness. They may also feel relieved that the exams are finally over.

Some young people might not know how they feel at all. And that's okay.

Social media can make comparison harder

Results Day can be particularly challenging when social media is involved. Young people may see posts from friends celebrating their grades, sharing university or college plans, or talking about their next steps. While these posts can be lovely to see, they can also make someone feel as though everyone else is doing better than them. It's worth remembering that social media tends to show the highlights, not the whole picture.

If scrolling through social media is making your young person feel worse, encourage them to take a break. They don't have to respond to every message or share their results publicly.

There is no obligation to turn Results Day into a performance.

If your young person is disappointed

If your young person hasn't received the results they hoped for, your instinct might be to immediately reassure them:

"It doesn't matter."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine."

"There are plenty of other options."

While these things may be true, they may not be what your young person needs to hear in that particular moment.

Try listening first.

Let them be disappointed. Allow them to acknowledge that they worked hard and had hoped for something different. You don't need to fix the situation immediately. Once they've had some time to process their emotions, you can start looking at their options together. There may be alternative courses, different colleges, resits, apprenticeships or other routes available. One set of results does not mean that their future has been decided.

If your young person is celebrating

It's also important to remember that young people who receive the results they wanted may need support too. They might be relieved after months of stress, exhausted from the pressure of exams or nervous about starting their next chapter. Try not to let the focus become solely about what comes next. Give them an opportunity to celebrate what they've achieved and recognise the effort that went into getting there.

And remember that comparison can affect young people who have done well too. A student who achieves three A*s may still be comparing themselves with someone who achieved four.

There will always be someone with a different set of results.

What can parents and carers do?

If you're supporting a young person through Results Day, some simple things can make a big difference:

Listen before you problem-solve.Give them space to tell you how they feel before jumping into solutions.

Avoid comparisons.Their results don't need to be compared with siblings, friends or other young people.

Focus on the person, not just the grades.Remind them of the qualities that aren't represented on a results sheet — their kindness, resilience, creativity, humour, determination and all the other things that make them who they are.

Give them time.They don't necessarily need to make every decision today. Emotions can make it harder to think clearly, so allow them some breathing space where possible.

Help them explore their options when they're ready.If things haven't gone to plan, sit down together and look at what is available rather than assuming that one particular route is the only route to success.

Be mindful of your own response.Young people often take emotional cues from the adults around them. It's completely natural to have your own feelings about their results, but try to give them space to have their own experience too.

Your results don't define you

GCSEs can feel incredibly important — and they are an achievement worth recognising — but they are one part of a much bigger picture.

A results sheet cannot measure someone's potential, personality, creativity, resilience, relationships or future achievements. And there isn't one single route to a happy or fulfilling life. For some young people, the path ahead will look exactly as they expected. For others, it may take a few unexpected turns. Some may change direction several times along the way.

That's okay.

If Results Day hasn't gone to plan, it doesn't mean your young person's future has been decided. And if today has gone brilliantly, they don't need to have their entire future mapped out either.

Wherever today finds you, take a breath. Celebrate where there is something to celebrate, make space for the difficult emotions where they're needed, and remember that one set of results does not define a young person's worth or potential.

If your young person is struggling with persistent anxiety, low mood, exam-related stress or worries about the future, talking to a professional can provide a safe space for them to explore how they're feeling and develop ways of managing those emotions.

If you're looking for support, The Wellbeing Therapy Hut offers counselling for young people and adults. Get in touch to find out more about how we may be able to help.