Council offers support for 'resilient' Lancashire students after GCSE results day

While pupils are celebrating good news, those who have not got the results they wanted are being offered the support they need.

This year, schools have awarded grades based on their own evidence of pupils’ levels of achievement against criteria provided by the exam boards. The grades are based on teacher judgement, and these have then been agreed by the head of department and the headteacher or principal, before being submitted to the exam board.

The grades awarded are based on coursework, mock exams and other in-school assessments entirely, with no external exams taking place.

County Councillor Jayne Rear, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for education and skills, said: “I would like to congratulate all the young people in Lancashire who are receiving their GCSE results today.

“When they started studying for these qualifications no-one could have predicted what the impact of the pandemic would have. I don’t underestimate for one second how challenging it has been for them.

“Their success is a credit to their hard work and dedication, and their resilience and determination.

Meanwhile, anyone who did not get the results they hoped for can get support through their school or local college and can also contact Talkzone, the county council’s advice and support service. Talkzone is available for young people between the ages of 12 and 19. It can be accessed by phone, text, webtalk, email and Facebook. It is also available for any young person up to the age of 25 with a disability.

The service is available from 2pm to 10pm every day, including weekends and Bank Holidays

Through Talkzone, young people can speak with trained advisers in confidence and chat through anything that is worrying them, as well as their exam results.

Young people can call Talkzone on 0800 511 111, text on 07786 511 111, email [email protected], access webtalk services at www.lancashire.gov.uk/youthzone/get-in-touch.aspx or www.facebook.com/LancashireYPS.