Dr Nick Smith, courses director and founder of The Oxford Open Learning Trust, said: “After another year of disruption, this year’s A-level students deserve tremendous credit for persevering and achieving so much. It’s brilliant to see that many have secured the results they wanted and they should be incredibly proud of their hard work.
“However, with schools closing for much of the last year and students missing many hours of teaching, there will inevitably be students who don’t quite receive the grades they hoped for.
“These students will naturally feel disappointed, but they shouldn’t worry, as there are a number of options available to those who don’t quite get the A-levels they expected or needed.
“First of all, check out the UCAS clearing system as many institutions will still have places available. Its website will show whether your course is available somewhere else, but it’s also worth giving them a call.
“If you feel that you’ve been given a grade that is too low, you can also appeal by contacting your school, who will then inform the exam board. The board will examine evidence provided by the school and decide whether any changes are needed.
“Universities are expecting a high number of appeals this year, with grades calculated by teacher assessment rather than exams, and this is why results have been released earlier, to allow for this process.
“You also have the option of exploring other learning pathways, like work experience or apprenticeships. Gap years are also a possibility, allowing you to travel or volunteer, but make sure you check international travel restrictions if heading abroad.
“Alternatively, you could take a break from traditional education but carry on learning by either resitting your A-levels or studying new ones while working. Distance learning is the most flexible way of doing this as everything you need is available online, so you can learn wherever and whenever is convenient for you.”
To find out more about distance learning, visit https://www.ool.co.uk
About Oxford Open Learning Trust
With 20 years of experience providing high-quality home study options, we pride ourselves on being one of the UK’s leading GCSE, IGCSE and A level distance learning course specialists.
We are dedicated to helping you achieve your learning goals at a time and place that suits you. Whether you describe our courses as home study or distance learning, it all equates to the same thing – high quality, comprehensive and flexible study materials that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
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