6th August 2024

How to help students who are dealing with disappointing results on results day

Results day can feel very stressful for students, especially those who have struggled academically during the school year or for those who have high expectations of themselves. As a teacher, it’s important that you provide positive reinforcement to students, especially to those who have received results that they’re disappointed in this year.

Here are our top 7 tips for dealing with disappointing results this A-level and GCSE results day:

#1 Offer support and a 1:1 chat

You should prioritise 1:1 chats with students once they’ve received their results so they can talk about how they’re feeling. Not all students will have home support, so it’s crucial that you have an open-door policy on results day.

#2 Validate how they’re feeling

Whether it’s anger, shame, guilt, or sadness, validating how your students feel will be one of the most significant things you can do. Resorting to ‘tough love’ or invalidating how they feel because of their performance throughout the school year isn’t necessary right now. This may sound fairly obvious – but there are still teachers who think that ‘tough love’ tactics can work in these scenarios. We think that sensitivity and empathy is key.

#3 Ask if they want advice

There will be some students who are receptive to advice and want to hear what you have to say, but equally, there will be students who will be in ‘shut down’ mode and will simply want to cry or have a moment on their own. Make sure that your advice is welcomed instead of giving it unsolicited.

#4 Remind students that they should be proud of themselves if they’ve done their best

There will be plenty of disappointed students on results day – even those who have incredible grades! This could be due to the pressure they’ve put on themselves or the pressure they may have received at home. Reminding students gently that as long as they’ve done their best, then they should be proud is a small (but mighty) statement.

#5 Make sure that students are aware of the bigger picture

Whether it’s primary school results or secondary school results, we know as adults that there are always other options for students in the future. Think back to when you got your results – how did you feel? For a lot of us, results day felt like the be-all-and-end-all of our lives, it felt like the biggest thing in the world, because at that time – it was! Your students currently feel the exact same and the fear and worry can be all-consuming. It’s so important to make students aware that this is a very small event in the rest of their lives, and there is always time to turn things around and improve themselves academically.

#6 Remind students to not compare themselves

Comparison is the thief of joy, and children unfortunately can fall into the trap of comparison very quickly – we definitely do as adults! There are going to be students that will be at opposite ends of the result spectrum, most likely opening their results standing side by side. So, it’s vital that you remind students to not compare results because we are all different. Just because someone got a worse grade than you does not make you better than them, and vice versa. Instead, get students to be empathetic and supportive of one another.

Tip: you could create a positive affirmation jar where every student can pick a sealed affirmation out once they’ve got their results. They can then open the affirmation at home to remind them that they should still be positive.

#7 Personalised e-mails or meetings with parents

If you have any worries about a particular student, and if you feel that it is in the student’s best interest and safety to do so, loop parents into the conversation. This way, they can have an awareness of what is going on. There will be some circumstances where students are unnecessarily harsh on themselves, even when they have a non-toxic support system at home. You must do this on a case-by-case basis, as it may not be possible to do this for all students. It is a consideration that can enable you to prioritise the well-being and safety of students mentally and physically.

We wish everyone the best of luck on this results day!