GCSE results day 2022 in Shropshire: What time are grades being released and what happens next?

Just like with last week's A-level results, this is the first time in two years that the results will be determined on exams taken by students, after the two previous years saw grades decided by teachers based on a range of evidence.

Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) has said that grade boundaries will likely be lower than when GCSE exams were last sat in 2019.

It said on its website: "The last two years have been tough for students. That’s why we put in place an unprecedented package of support to make the path back to pre-pandemic arrangements as smooth as possible."

There are five exam boards across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They are AQA, CCEA, OCR, Pearson (Edexcel) and WJEC.

When is GCSE results day?

Pupils will receive their GCSE results on Thursday, August 25 - one week after the A-level results were released.

Collecting results

Students should be able to collect their results in person from the schools.

Some schools may be publishing their results online, but it's best students check with their individual school.

What are the GCSE grades?

The traditional GCSE grading system of letter grades from A*-G was replaced in 2018 by a number system from 9-1.

Here is a breakdown of what each grade means:

The U grade for unsatisfactory still remains in place.

What happens next

If any student is unhappy with their result(s), they can speak with their school, which will then contact the relevant exam board for the marks to be reviewed.

An appeal can be lodged too after a review.

You can resit any GCSE exam the following year, while Maths and English retakes are done in November this year. Again, students need to speak with their school about doing this.

Once pupils have their GCSE results, most will have an idea on what the next step is for them such as A-levels in sixth-form, college, apprenticeships or even going straight into work, while some students will still be deciding on what their next step is.

Telford College is holding a series of open events over the coming weeks, giving prospective students the chance to explore the university-standard facilities at the Wellington campus, and find out more about the courses.

More information can be found at telfordcollege.ac.uk/

Graham Guest, principal and chief executive at Telford College, said: "Our open events are the perfect opportunity to get a real flavour of life on campus. You’ll have chance to speak to students, find out more about the curriculum choices, and chat with our expert staff who are always on hand to answer your questions.

"We’re constantly talking to local employers about the type of skills they need, and evolving our curriculum accordingly.

“Modern-day education is all about addressing skills gaps in industries, opening students’ minds up to new sectors, and giving them a clear and stress-free choice of what to study after their GCSEs.

“It is vital that young people make the right decision about the direction they want to go next – otherwise, it can be a very expensive mistake.

“Students with a more academic approach might want to take the traditional A level route towards a possible university place – but for others, vocational choices may better suit their needs.

"The most important thing about results day is not to panic. If you don’t quite get the results you were expecting, that must not put you off further studies – there’s a course out there to suit everyone.

"Entry requirements for different qualifications can vary, but the college can cater for all abilities with our wide range of courses, whether you feel more comfortable with an academic or a practical pathway.

“Then there are apprenticeships – a chance to earn a salary and gain a qualification – in a growing range of careers, from hairdressing and healthcare to engineering, IT, business administration, and much more.”

Mr Guest added: “All in all, there has never been more choice on offer to young people in Shropshire, whatever their GCSE grades.

“Today’s young people are in the lucky position of having a rapidly growing choice of further and higher education options, not least right here in Shropshire.

“In one sense, results day is no different to the rest of the school or college year – to get the most out of it, you need to have done your homework.

“So the message to young people is: if you have a specific career in mind, it’s important to check out all your education options.

“There are many different routes to success these days, tailored to make the most of people’s interests and strengths, and as the largest further education college in the county, you’ll find we have got most bases covered.”

Catherine Armstrong, Group Vice Principal for Students and Partnerships at the Shrewsbury Colleges Group advises on the options after GCSEs. She said: "There are three main categories of qualifications that you can take. Academic, vocational and apprenticeships.

"The academic qualifications tend to be A Levels and these are usually taken if you would like to go to university. There are lots of different subjects to choose from and the combination of the subjects you choose is important as it will have a bearing on the degree course that you can do at university.

"However, if you would like to do something more vocational then there are other qualifications that you can take. There are qualifications such as BTECs as well as City and Guilds which will give you more hands-on experience and can be a quicker route into work.

"These qualifications can be related to a broad employment area like engineering, construction, health and social care as well as IT.

"However, you may feel like you’d like to earn while you learn and therefore an apprenticeship would be a good option. You’ll be paid while you train on the job and you’ll work toward an industry specific qualification and this could prove to be a direct route to the career that you want. This approach is a great way to get hands on experience as well as developing industry standard skills."

Shrewsbury Colleges Group offer students all three options at the three campuses in Shrewsbury, and it is not too late to apply for September 2022 starts.

Just contact the Admissions team at the college and they will be happy to help you through the different options available.

Full information on Shrewsbury Colleges Group can be found at scg.ac.uk/