Ready for the results? A Level results day is here and we want to ensure you have all the resources at your fingertips to help Year 13 pupils. Check out these tips.

Go on, university goers!

• Have your fantastic students got the grades they need? Congratulate them! They can accept their University offer and their chosen institution will tell them what they need to do next.
• Were the grades not what they were expecting? If your students are unhappy with their grades and think they need reviewing, talk them through the options and how they can submit an appeal to the exam board. You may need to guide them to talk to their university choice to see if a place can be held, or if they need to enter Clearing while they wait for their appeal.
• Be prepared for Clearing. Let your students know it’s ok to be disappointed if they didn’t get their place. A listening ear is always welcome. Be optimistic about the new options they can explore. If you have examples of students who had great clearing outcomes, let them know! Encourage them to have an open mind.
• The UCAS search tool provides a handy list of the course places that go live during Clearing.
• Some students may be having second thoughts about their chosen university. That’s also where Clearing can help! Encourage them to think about why their first choice wasn’t right for them and use that to help decide on another.
• Sometimes students might get the grades they need, but realise they aren’t quite ready to dive into the University life. You may have to remind them that deferring is an option for anyone who has met all conditions for entry, but they should be prepared to explain their decision.

All aboard the UCAS Track:

Traversing UCAS can be stressful for your students just after receiving their A Level results. Break down the stages of the website to them to help them find their way.

1. Checking UCAS Track will let them know if they’ve received any offers. Remind them that, in some cases, you can receive offers from universities even if you haven’t met the conditions, so it is always worth checking!
2. If their firm choice hasn’t offered a place, urge them to check their ‘insurance’ choices.
3. Have any students gone above and beyond? If any of your students have done better than anticipated, they can check on adjustment to see if there are any other courses they are interested in that have opened for them.
4. Remind them that it’s a busy train. The system might not update instantly due to the volume of students, so be a calm and friendly point of contact to help ease the nerves while they wait for the update.

Clear the way for Clearing:

You will be the first port of call for any students who are heading towards clearing. Students will be relying on your expertise to be a calm in the storm, so ensure you have a checklist ready to go!

• The UCAS website compiles a list of available courses.
• Help them locate their clearing number on the your Track home page and their UCAS ID Number.
• Direct them to clearing hotlines that will be open throughout A Level results day, linking them to the universities directly.
• If a verbal offer of a place has been given, help them add their choice online through the ‘add a clearing choice’ option, making sure they fill in all the details of the course.
• Alert them that if they change their university course they’ll need to inform their Student Finance and any Accommodation plans.

Open to ideas?

University isn’t the only option for your students; there are plenty more pathways that could be a much better suit!

• HND/HNC via a local further education college
• Foundation Degree
• Apprenticeships: which UCAS has a helpful list of here
• Employment
• Gap Year