24^th August 2017 will be a memorable day for thousands of students across the UK as they receive their GCSE results. Whilst there’ll be students that are celebrating success there are also always disappointed pupils who didn’t get the grades they expected. Those who are disappointed will no doubt be turning to their teachers for support and guidance. Here are top five tips on how you can help your students should their results not be something to celebrate.    

1. Be a calming presence

Emotions will be running high along with feelings of stress and panic. The first thing you can do is offer reassurance and a calming presence on the day. Have some stories on hand of students who didn’t perform as well as they had hoped but went onto being successful. This will help them feel like it’s not the end of the world, as many will probably feeling like it is.   

2. Re-marks and resits

Grades can move up or down however most of the time they don’t therefore it’s important to set expectations when discussing the option of re-marking with students. Maths, English, and English Literature can be retaken in November, whilst everything else the following summer; therefore resits may be more realistic for some.  If there is a high chance of a student improving the second time around, and their choice of career path depends on it then resisting exams is an option worth pursuing. Guidance from a trusted and knowledgeable teacher is vital here. 

3. Talk to students away from parents

Each year more and more parents are accompanying their children and standing with them as they open that all important envelope. This can be quite daunting and nerve racking especially if both parents are looking over their shoulder. It’s a lot better for students to open results, talk to their friends, talk to their teachers and then face parents when they feel prepared. Try to steer students away from their parents and ensure the conversation you have is on point. 

4. Be prepared

As a teacher you will need to respond to an array of questions and deal with situations you may not have faced before. It’s worthwhile speaking to senior members to get their experiences and advice, especially if this was your first year of teaching as an NQT. Think back to your own personal life experiences and how you felt during GCSE results day. 

5. There are other options

A-Levels are not the only option. There are several other post-16 paths, of which some end up at the same destination. Good results in vocational qualifications can open the door to many university courses and careers. There is also the option of apprenticeships which work really well for some young people. 

One final point to remember is to tell your students that their GCSE results do not define them. It’s what they do next that will begin to shape their future.

Following on from 100 things to do before leaving primary school TES surveyed 2,500 secondary students to discover the experiences they value most at school. As well as being a place of academic learning, schools are also an environment where young people learn valuable life lessons and gain experiences that will shape them as adults. Teachers and parents alike have strong views on what these lessons and experiences should be, but what do the students themselves value?  

Here are the top 100 things secondary children believe what every child before the age of 16 should have done at school…

Fall asleep in class    
Fall off a chair because you were rocking back on it    
Gain the ability to live on your own    
Have your teacher contact home with positive news
Learn how to be good at interviews
 Learn how to look after someone or something    
Try school dinners    
Be hit in the face by a ball    
Be proud of some work that you’ve done    
Throw an old pen in the bin from across the room – and get it in    
Kick a ball over the fence    
Learn how to save money    
Be told to tuck your shirt in, tuck it in, and then walk around the corner and untuck it    
Forge your parent’s signature in your planner at least once    
Wear PE kit from the lost property bin    
Give a speech to an audience    
Be told how to buy a house    
Look after a fake baby for a week    
Learn how to do CPR    
Get to a cake sale while there are still cakes left    
Win something    
Lose something    
Learn to trust/be trusted    
Learn about taxes    
Lead a group of people    
Take part in community outreach work    
Learn how to cope with anxiety and stress about exams    
Learn how to look after yourself    
Learn what to do if you are in debt    
Spend your dinner money on sweets before school   
Dress up for World Book Day    
Wear uniform on non-uniform day    
Run a charity event    
Learn how to love yourself    
Have your phone go off in a lesson    
Learn the staff wi-fi code    
Experience disappointment    
Learn from your mistakes    
Educate a teacher on new social trends and terms    
Dissect something in science    
Get a part-time paid job    
Draw on your friend's book    
Experience loyalty from a friend    
Take part in a school production    
Visit an old people's home    
Forget to do homework    
Have a school romance    
Experience the need to be resilient    
Listen to music in lessons    
Break something and deny all knowledge    
Go with your parents to parents’ evening    
Talk to someone new    
Find a hobby you are passionate about    
Mix with pupils from other schools    
Push a pull door    
Visit the school nurse    
Rename British Bulldog because it's banned    
Go on work experience    
Have a favourite teacher    
Get a selfie with your favourite teacher    
Know when it’s important to tell a teacher something − and that it isn’t landing your friend in it, but helping them    
Own up to a mistake you’ve made    
Have a water fight    
Try a new look    
Get a detention    
Be in a band    
Experience different cultures    
Call the teacher "mum" or "dad"    
Learn when not to speak    
Put your hand up in class… and get something right    
Get a grade you're proud of    
Be given responsibility    
Try new sports    
Stand up for someone    
Stand up for yourself    
Go to the end-of-year prom    
Go to a national sporting event    
Have an embarrassing school photograph    
Vote in a school election    
Be in a class with none of your friends    
Represent the school in an activity – academic or sporting    
Laugh out loud in a quiet class    
Do a tour around the school for a visitor    
Have a piece of work on display    
Walk into the wrong class    
Have the class go silent just as you say something embarrassing    
Be more confident and talk to those who have different views    
Fall or trip in front of everyone    
Be a role model for younger students    
Make a best friend for life    
Do homework during break or lunch for the next lesson  
Take a risk    
Take part in after-school activities    
Partake in a moment of bravery    
Get annoyed with a friend but remain friends    
Draw a self-portrait    
Watch a film in class    
Fall out with a friend    
Have a mini heartbreak over "the one"    
Say sorry to someone you hurt