As a headteacher who has weathered countless results days, I know that summer holidays never quite feel like the full six weeks civilians imagine we get.
Not least because there are two weeks during that time when results days loom and come with a mix of nerves, hope, stress and hopefully relief and pride as students secure their wished-for outcomes.
But for those approaching their first-ever results days, the mixture of investment and trepidation is particularly intense. After all, you’ve guided these students through their entire journey, and now the moment of truth arrives. But what do you need to know if you’re prepping for your first results day?
1. Understanding the timeline
Results arrive on the Wednesday before the official results day, but here’s what newcomers need to know: they’re embargoed.
Only the headteacher, senior leadership team and exams officers are entitled to see and process these results. Resist the urge to badger senior staff on Wednesday - they can’t tell you anything and have an enormous amount of work preparing for Thursday’s student results day.
2. The morning itself
Different schools handle results distribution differently, so check your school’s specific protocol.
Some have set opening times, others are trialling online methods, and many use hybrid approaches. Whatever your school’s system, your role is crucial but nuanced.
3. Reading the room
If you’re going into school on results day, sensitivity is paramount. Students arrive nervous, and reactions span the full spectrum - some will be delighted, others disappointed, and some may slip in and slip out without even opening their envelope.
Your job isn’t to be the advice-giver about next steps, whether results are better or worse than expected. Schools have designated staff for this purpose, so guide families to the right person rather than overstepping your mark.
4. When things go wrong
Sometimes things do go wrong. Perhaps a particular subject has “bombed”, or parents arrive angry, demanding answers.
The senior team and headteacher are best positioned to explain protocols for re-marks or challenges to exam boards. Direct parents and students to these appropriate people - you don’t want to give false advice and therefore false hope.
5. Supporting colleagues
If other teaching colleagues are present, extend the same sensitivity to them. Some may be disappointed with their classes’ final grades, and this could be for any number of reasons. Listen and support, but don’t judge.
The worst crime of all? Gloating or crowing about your own students’ grades. Be proud, certainly, but be dignified.
A personal perspective
In my years of experience, I’ve learned that results day reveals as much about a school’s character as it does about academic achievement.
I’ve seen teachers handle disappointment with grace, watched colleagues celebrate others’ successes genuinely, and observed how truly supportive school communities rally around both students and staff when results aren’t as hoped.
Remember, this day represents the culmination of not just your students’ efforts, but your own professional investment. You’ve earned the right to feel proud of your contribution, regardless of the numbers on those pieces of paper.
The nervous energy, the envelope-opening drama, the tears of joy and disappointment - it’s all part of the rich tapestry of education. Your first results day won’t be your last, but it will always be memorable.
So approach it with sensitivity, support your colleagues, trust your school’s systems and remember that behind every grade is a student whose educational journey you’ve helped shape. That’s something worth celebrating, whatever the results reveal.
Julia Polley is headteacher at The Wensleydale School
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