Counsellors at the leading children’s charity’s Childline service are poised to help Renfrewshire school pupils who are worried about the exam grades they are due to receive next week.
Results from the National and Higher exams, which pupils sat in June, are due to be published on Tuesday 6th August.
Last year saw a rise in counselling sessions carried out by Scotland-based staff and volunteers at Childline with young people worried about their exams.
Specially-trained counsellors at Scotland’s two Childline bases in Glasgow and Aberdeen handled a total of 263 counselling sessions on exam result worries in 2018/19 from worried children contacting them across the UK as the number of sessions they delivered increased from 196 in 2016/2017.
Leanne Ferries, Childline service manager for Childline’s Aberdeen base, has encouraged any pupil worried about what the future may hold after the upcoming results to get in touch for free, confidential support and advice.
She said: “There can be an incredible pressure for children and young people during the exam period and this can turn to extreme anxiety around results time, especially if their marks don’t match up to their expectations or hopes.
“They can often think these exams represent their last chance to make something of their lives but this is certainly not the case and there are plenty of other options for those who do not get the results they expect or need.
“We’ve heard from pupils who’ve had panic attacks and severe stress and fear over their exams and potentially not getting the right grades. This can lead to depression, excessive crying, low self-esteem or even suicidal thoughts.
“Our message today is that Childline is here to discuss these issues and we would encourage every pupil who has not received the grades they wanted to remain calm and positive, and realise that next week’s results are not the end of the world.”
Childline has the following advice for young people:
- Don’t panic if you don’t get the results you were hoping for
- You may have to make some tough decisions but remember you always have options and you can get help
- Everyone is different so try not to compare your results to your friends or classmates
- If you’re disappointed with your results it can help to talk to a teacher or someone you trust about how you’re feeling
Advice from the NSPCC for parents and carers include:
- Try not to place pressure on your children to gain certain grades
- Your child may find it hard to talk to you about their results so be patient and supportive until they feel ready to open up about how they feel
- Encourage your child to take their time to think about what they want to do next. There’s no need to rush into a decision straightaway
- Help them think about their choices by writing down a list of pros and cons for each of their options
As well as calling Childline’s free confidential helpline on 0800 11 11, young people can also send emails to trained counsellors or receive support online via one-to-one chat by visiting childline.org.uk or by downloading the For Me app.