Tips for supporting your teen on A-Level results day

By Alicia Drummond, Therapist and Founder of The Wellbeing Hub

A-Level Results Day can be a rollercoaster for students and parents alike. As a parent, you’ll want to be as supportive and prepared as possible, whether the day brings celebration or an unexpected curveball. In this blog, Alicia Drummond, Therapist and Founder of The Wellbeing Hub, shares practical and compassionate tips to help you guide your teen through the highs and lows of results day with empathy and reassurance.

Exam results day can be stressful for students at any stage of their education, but it can be especially intense for those awaiting their A-Level results.

Here are some tips on how to support your teen on A-Level results day:

• Before results day arrives have a chat with them about how they might feel/cope if the results are not what they are expecting. Let them know that whatever happens you love them, and if things don’t go according to plan you will be there to help.
• Let them open their own results!
• Opening results early is particularly important for A-Level results day because the clearing places fill up fast. It is worth understanding how the clearing process works before D-Day – you can find all the information on the UCAS website.
• If the results are not what they wanted they need you to stay calm. Hide your disappointment whilst you help them manage the array of emotions they will be feeling by showing empathy. “It’s horrible when things don’t go according to plan, I’m sorry” – do not say any more until they are through the immediate upset.
• Separate the action from the person and be optimistic – “failing exams does not make you a failure. It is upsetting and annoying, but you are ok, we love you, and we will find a way forward”.
• Do not blame the school, teacher, or exams board. When we resort to this type of rescuing, we make it harder for them to recover because we cast them into the role of victim and reduce their sense of power. There will be time enough for investigations later.
• Do not ask how others have done as this may fuel compare and despair.
• Be aware that getting a place through clearing, even at a top-class university, may still feel like failure to them, and maybe anxiety inducing. Help them be proactive in familiarising themselves with their new university. Be alert to signs of distress and give them opportunity and permission to feel their feelings, “I guess you might feel that going to X rather than X feels like failing”.
• If clearing doesn’t provide a solution, would a foundation year get them onto the course they want? Perhaps a gap year would give them the space to re-evaluate. Consider the reasons for failing carefully before committing to retake exams.
• Do not big up a lower grade – when you say, “he got a high B” they hear, “he failed to get an A” – let the result be what it is. This will help them get over any disappointment faster.
• Get them to focus forwards on next steps and what they can do to move themselves towards the next goal.

If your teen is navigating university choices, Clearing, or considering a change of plan, UK Study Options offers expert guidance on every step of the UK university application journey. Whether they need help with course selection, personal statements, or managing multiple offers, our Application Support services are designed to make the process clearer and less stressful.

Learn more about our University Admissions Support and how we can help your teen apply with confidence.

The Wellbeing Hub from Teen Tips is a live and interactive online platform, offering a proactive approach to young people’s mental health and wellbeing by providing expert-led resources and practical support.