We want to offer you our very best wishes for GCSE results day this Thursday. We will be keeping our fingers crossed that all of your hard work has paid off and that you achieve results you can be really proud of.
There are two main messages:
- If you’ve got good results – well done, enjoy results day, and you don’t really need to do anything further until the enrolment day on 31st August
- If you’re a bit disappointed with your results, don’t panic! There’s every chance that you may still have secured the grades you need to come to New College and in many cases the subjects you applied to study. Even in cases where we may need to have a bit of a rethink, we’ll work hard with you to try find a group of subjects that you will enjoy and do well in.
How can I check if I’ve got the results I need?
As a rough guide, if you’ve achieved 5 or more grade C results (or the new level 4 in English / maths), then you’re very likely to have secured good enough grades to study either an A level or BTEC programme at New College. The entry requirements for individual subjects vary so it’s worth checking what you need for the subjects you’ve applied to study (or the ones you’re considering, if you’ve changed your mind about your subjects). You’ll need a higher GCSE point score and stronger results in GCSE maths and science subjects if you want to study A levels in physics or chemistry, for example, than some other subjects.
You can find information about how to calculate your GCSE point score and to check the individual subject entry requirements by looking at pages 14 and 15 of our prospectus:
https://ncdoncaster.ac.uk/prospectus/
More detailed information about entry criteria can be found in our admissions policy, but most students and parents will be able to find everything they need in the prospectus.
https://ncdoncaster.ac.uk/policies
I’ve got the results I need for all my subjects – what do I need to do now?
Nothing! We’ll look forward to seeing you at the enrolment day! If we’ve already given you a conditional offer and you’ve got the grades you need for the subjects you’ve applied to study, then there’s nothing further for you to do at this stage and we don’t need to see you until enrolment day.
I want to change my subjects – what do I need to do now?
Nothing! This isn’t unusual at all and we’ll discuss this with you in detail at enrolment day. You don’t need to contact us about possible course changes at this stage.
I don’t think I’ve got the results I need – what do I need to do now?
Don’t panic. There’s a whole range of things that could happen in this scenario and we’ll do everything we can at enrolment to try and find a group of subjects that suits your interests and strengths, and which takes account of your results. Not getting the grades you need for a particular subject doesn’t mean that you can’t come to New College, it just means we need to have a really good think about whether or not we need to make any tweaks to your subject choices.
It’s not unusual for students to change their subjects on enrolment day, either because they’ve changed their mind, or because we’re having to rethink things following results. Every student is unique and the combination of your GCSE results and the particular subjects you want to study, combined with your personal interests and aspirations, will all be factors that will help us to decide with you the best way forward.
As a rule of thumb, we’d suggest that if you seem to have got the grades you need for 2 of your subjects and you’re unsure about the third, stay calm and we can explore it with you at the enrolment day.
If you’re unsure about whether you’ve got what you need for a couple of your subjects but you’ve got a good idea about some options for swapping one or two subjects, stay calm and we can explore it with you at the enrolment day.
I’d like to talk to someone about my results before the enrolment day
You don’t need to contact us before enrolment day, but we want to be able to help you as much as we can if you’re uncertain or if you’d welcome some initial guidance.
If you’re worried and you feel that you’d like to talk to us before enrolment day, please drop us an email at enquiries@ncdoncaster.ac.uk, give us a call, or send us a message through facebook messenger. Please keep in mind that we won’t be able to make any final decisions about your subjects or any changes until the enrolment day (when we can have a really detailed chat with you), but we are happy to give you some initial advice and answer any questions you may have.
Please note that we are unlikely to be able to respond to phone calls on GCSE results day (Thursday 24 August) due to events taking place at New College Pontefract.
Hayfield and Hungerhill
Because we have very large numbers of students applying from these two schools, we will have a limited staff presence at both schools in the morning of GCSE results day. We don’t need to talk to every student that has applied (we will be overwhelmed if you do!) – we thought it would be useful to be on hand to answer any particular queries or to give some initial guidance or reassurance to any students with concerns. Again, final decisions about subjects / changes will be made at the main enrolment day, not on results day. Students from other schools are also very welcome to contact us with queries, as mentioned above, by email, telephone or facebook.
I’ve not applied yet but I’m interested in New College – what should I do?
Although our application numbers are very strong, we are still accepting applications. www.ncdoncaster.ac.uk/apply – it’s best to apply urgently at this stage. We will then invite you to attend our late interview and enrolment day on 13 September.
I declined my offer of a place earlier in the year (or withdrew my application) but I’ve changed my mind and would like to come to New College – what should I do?
No problem – please email studentservices@ncdoncaster.ac.uk urgently. We will invite you to our late interview / enrolment day on 13 September.
