Exam Results Day - But Not as We Know It

In just a few weeks time, a mix of excitement and perhaps a little anxiety will be palpable in homes across the country as GCSE and A Level results envelopes begin landing on doormats and families find out how their children have done in their exams.

In just a few weeks time, a mix of excitement and perhaps a little anxiety will be palpable in homes across the country as GCSE and A Level results envelopes begin landing on doormats and families find out how their children have done in their exams.

Exam results day has always been an important time for families. Parents will be found pacing up and down waiting for the news to arrive. And images of groups of girls and boys waving pieces of paper and hugging each other will be familiar scenes on the day's news bulletins.

But if you are a student at the Grammar School at Leeds, there will be no waiting for envelopes to arrive. And you can be sure that your parents won't find out how you've done before you do. The school publishes exam results via an online portal - and students can log on and see their results 24 hours before they are made available to parents.

The school takes the view that exam results belong to the students. And although there were inevitably one or two parents who took some time to get used to the idea, it is now the only way that exam results are received.

Parents who choose to invest in a private education for their child expect them to be given opportunities that will help them to develop into well-rounded individuals ready to venture out into the world. Being given responsibility for your own exam results can be an important part of this.

There are other benefits to making exam results accessible via the internet too. There is no risk of the disappointment of results letters arriving late or being lost in the post, there is much less administration for the school and no postage costs are incurred. The Grammar School at Leeds has saved a not inconsiderable £10,000 by publishing exam results and other information, such as student reports and assessment scores, online that can be invested in pupils' education. And teachers can focus more of their time on talking to students about their results, which is so important at this critical stage in their education.

With more and more of us used to shopping and banking online, logging on to get exam results could become the norm in many schools. Those that have taken this route believe that it is not only an important part of the education they provide, but it also helps ensure a much more efficient and cost-effective service for students and their parents.

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