Tag: A Levels

A group of students studying at a table with a laptop.

Your Results Day cheat sheet

Posted on | by Chloe Elliott | Leave a Comment on Your Results Day cheat sheet

Deciding what to do next after exam results can be quite daunting for pupils – especially if they’re not entirely sure what career they want, or just need some advice or guidance on the options available. We’ve compiled a special list of local careers fairs and events around Merseyside and Greater Manchester to help them do just that.

  1. Career Connect: 
    • Offers careers advice and information for young people.
  2. Apprenticeships:
    • Students can use the National Government Website to search and apply for vacancies.
  3. The National Careers Service:
    • Provides help with career choices and education.
  4. Not Going to Uni:
    • Offers advice, guidance, and alternative career paths for school and college leavers.

Numbers To Know:

National helplines

  • Exam Results Helpline – 0800 100 900
  • National Careers Service – 0800 100 900            

Local/Regional numbers

University of Liverpool Clearing – 0151 794 6800 (open 6.30am)

Liverpool John Moore’s University Clearing – 0808 5 564 565 (open 6.30am)

Liverpool Hope University Clearing – 0151 291 3636 (open 7.00am)

Edge Hill University Clearing – 0800 028 6677 (open 7.00am)

Chester University Clearing – 0808 1642710 or clearing@chester.ac.uk (open 7.00am)

University of Manchester Clearing

  • General: 0161 306 6000
  • Clearing: 0161 672 8770
  • Confirmation of place: 0161 804 0050

Manchester Metropolitan University Clearing

  • General: 0161 247 2000
  • Clearing: 0161 247 3000

University of Salford Clearing

  • General: 0161 295 5000
  • Clearing: 0300 555 5030

Exciting Events:

There are a whole host of upcoming events in the local area that could further help your students find their perfect path!

Liverpool

  • Liverpool Jobs Fair – 10.00am-1.00pm on Friday 27th September 2024 at Anfield stadium.  Book tickets on Eventbrite
  • Nursing Live – 9.30am-5.00pm on Wednesday 23rd October 2024 and 9.30am-4.30pm on Thursday 24th October 2024 at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool, ACC Liverpool.  Register for a free ticket.

Manchester

  • Manchester Jobs Fair – 10.00am-1.00pm on Friday 11th October, Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester.  Book tickets on Eventbrite.
  • Manchester Careers Fair – 10.00am-2.00pm on September 13th, Brittania Hotel, Portland Street, Manchester, M1 3LA. Tickets are optional but can be registered via the link below.

St Helens

Wirral

Need more information?

Reach out to us via email schoolsinfo@careerconnect.org.uk or visit our website at https://careerconnect.org.uk/get-support/.

We’re here to help you support your students to reach their full potential.

How to ace A Level Results Day
A group of students sharing news of their A Level results.

How to ace A Level Results Day

Posted on | by Chloe Elliott | Leave a Comment on How to ace A Level Results Day

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
Check out our bank of A Level contacts, links, and upcoming events!
Results Day

Tips & Advice for GCSE results day

Posted on | by Chloe Elliott | Leave a Comment on Tips & Advice for GCSE results day

Waiting for GCSE results day? Not sure what to do next? We have some tips and advice to help you…

Some Useful GCSE Results Day Tips:

  • If you have applied to a college or sixth form, you will need to know HOW to show them your results and enrol. Make sure you know this.
  • If you have an offer of an apprenticeship, is it dependant on your GCSE results? If so, you should send them a copy of their results, so call them and ask how you send them.

Bear in mind that, if you do not pass your Maths or English (Grade 4 or above), it is a LEGAL REQUIREMENT that you MUST resit these – so any college or sixth form you apply to will make you study these until you pass.

No plans or considering alternative?

  • Don’t panic! Do some research to ease the stress!
  • Apprenticeship vacancies are available on the National Government Apprenticeships website Browse these and see what opportunities are out there.
  • Check out College and Sixth form websites for courses that interest you. Note down their contact details and get in touch. They may ask what your GCSE results where, so these have to hand.

Know the difference between A Levels and BTECs

Remember: A Levels are exam-based, whereas BTECs use written assignments throughout the year. Both may include practical elements, depending on the course you apply for.

Steps to Follow on GCSE Results Day:

  1. Seek Advice – talk to your school/college careers adviser before making any decisions.
  2. Find out what courses are available from college and sixth form websites.
  3. Talk to sixth forms and colleges directly and have your results to hand. If you didn’t get the results you were hoping for, they can still help (possibly even offer you alternative courses) so still contact them.
  4. Interested in an apprenticeship? Visit the National Apprenticeship website and create an account – then you can make as many applications as you like.

If you are not sure what you want to do, talk to your school/college careers adviser – THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE THERE FOR.

Some useful websites:

And remember, if you don’t get the results you were expecting or hoping for (or maybe you did as badly as you feared) the important thing to remember is “Don’t Panic!”. It’s not the end of the world. There are always other ways to get where you want to go and people who can offer you help and advice. All you need to do is contact them.

A Level Results Day

Tips for Students on A Level Results Day

Posted on | by Chloe Elliott | Leave a Comment on Tips for Students on A Level Results Day

Had your A level results? Career Connect has some tips and advice to help you get the best outcome on results day….

Don’t be disappointed if you cannot see (and hug) school or college friends or celebrate on results day. Practicing social distancing is still essential and will help to prevent further spread of the virus. Remember to take your mask and hand sanitizer with you as this will also stop the spread of the virus.

When You Know Your Results:

  • Make sure you have your UCAS Track login details and UCAS ID number handy.
  • All Clearing vacancies are listed on the UCAS website. This means you can browse through vacancies now, in preparation for Thursday 18 August.
  • Apprenticeship vacancies are already available on the National Government Website. Browse these now to see what opportunities are out there if you are considering this option.

 UCAS Offers:

  • 9 August/18 August
    • 08:30: UCAS Customer Experience Centre and social media support opens for applicants.
    • 09:00: UCAS Hub is open and students can access their applications.
    • 10:00: Eligible applicants can add a Clearing choice.
    • 18:00: UCAS Customer Success Team, Customer Experience Centre, and social media support closes.
  • Check UCAS Track once you have collected your results to check your offers. Your track will have updated, so you should know if you have received an offer from your firm choice or not.
  • If you have not had an offer on your ‘firm’, you may have got a place on your ‘insurance’ choice.
  • In some instances, if you have not quite met the conditions of your offer, a university may still offer you a place on your chosen course.  So always check UCAS Track, even if you have not done as well as expected!
  • Some universities may offer you a place on an alternative course.
  • If you have done better than expected, you may be able to go through adjustment if there is another course you are interested in – www.ucas.com/adjustment
  • If you have no offers, or reject the offers made to you, you will be eligible to go through Clearing –  www.ucas.com/clearning

 Clearing – Steps to follow:

  1. Seek Advice – speak to your school/college careers adviser.
  2. See what courses are available – you will find these on the UCAS website.
  3. Talk to universities and colleges directly. All universities and colleges have Clearing hotlines open throughout results day. Make sure you have your clearing number (which will appear on your Track home page) and your UCAS ID Number. You must have a verbal offer of a place before you can add a choice online.
  4. Add your choice – click ‘add a clearing choice’ and fill in all the details of the course.
  5. Don’t panic. Do your research.

Alternatives to HE:

If you don’t want to go to university and have not applied for an apprenticeship or a job, it’s definitely not too late. Seek advice from your school/college careers advisor first. 

Some useful websites for Results Day:

 Useful Phone Numbers:

  • Exam Results Helpline – 0800 100 900 open from Monday 9 August – Friday 20 August (8.00 am to 8.00 pm Monday to Friday) (10.00 am to 5.00 pm Saturdays)
  • National Careers Service – 0800 100 900

Local university clearing hotline numbers:

  • University of Liverpool – 0151 794 6800 (open 6:30am)
  • Liverpool John Moores University – 0808 5 564 565 (open 6:30am)
  • Liverpool Hope University – 0151 291 3636 (open 7:00am)
  • Edge Hill University – 0800 028 6677 (open 7:00am)
  • Chester University – 0808 1642710 or clearing@chester.ac.uk (open 7.00 am)
  • University of Manchester – General: 0161 306 6000, Clearing: 0161 672 8770, Confirmation of place: 0161 804 0050
  • Manchester Metropolitan University – General: 0161 247 2000, Clearing: 0161 247 3000
  • University of Salford – General: 0161 295 5000, Clearing: 0300 555 503