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Large majority of secondary school teachers think students worry too much that exam results will determine their future

Our Childline service wants to remind young people that there are always options whatever they achieve, and that we're here to support them if they need us.

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  • Results from our new survey1 of 5,300 secondary schools teachers on Teacher Tapp* reveal that 91% believe their students worry too much that exam results will determine their future.
  • The results also show that over half (51%) think that social media negatively influences how students feel about results day.
  • We’re releasing this data ahead of students collecting their A-level results (15 August) and GCSE results (22 August).

Young people are contacting Childline about exam stress

Childline knows that results day can be a stressful time for many young people.

Some say they’re worried about their future if they don’t get the grades they need to get into their first-choice college or university. Others think that they’ll disappoint their family. Some struggle with comparing themselves to their friends and say that social media can make this worse.

Michelle**, aged 20 from London, identified her self-worth with academic success.

This pressure affected her mental health and led her to the point of breakdown when she didn’t get the A-levels needed to get into her first-choice university.

She described the summer after taking her exams as the “worst summer to date” and said that she was “incredibly anxious on results day”.

Michelle went through clearing and is now studying at another university.

She said:

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“It took a while for me to get over not achieving the grades I had wanted, and it involved a lot of forgiveness as I was so harsh on myself.

"It made me realise that you don’t have to go to a certain university to do well.

"I am kinder to myself, and I know that if it doesn’t work out it’s fine and I have an identity away from education which is something I really wanted to work on.

"Sometimes you can be so consumed by what you see on social media you can lose yourself.”

Every year Childline hears from children who are struggling to cope with worries about their exam results.

Like Michelle, for some young people these worries can have a negative impact on their mental health causing anxiety, low mood, stress and a lack of sleep.

Shaun Friel, Childline Director, said:

“The exam results period can be an incredibly tough time for young people as they consider their next steps.

“At Childline, we know it can be hard to not compare, but it is important for young people to be reminded that success is not just measured in academic achievement.

“If their results aren’t what they hoped for, there are always other options available.

“Childline wants any young person feeling worried about their results to know that they don’t need to cope with this alone and that our trained counsellors are here to support them both over the phone and online.”

The People's Postcode Lottery

The players of People’s Postcode Lottery help raise vital funds to make sure our Childline service can be here every day for children who are struggling with issues such as exam result worries.

Ryan Mackie, deputy head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said:

“It’s not just revising for and taking exams that can be stressful, but results day and the lead up to it can also take its toll – especially if the results then aren’t what you were anticipating.

“I’m really pleased that funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery is helping to support the NSPCC’s Childline service, which gives young people the chance to discuss their anxieties with trained professionals who can listen, as well as offer advice and perspective.”

NSPCC Press Office

Contact our national and regional press offices for enquiries about our work or to request interviews.

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Notes

*Teacher Tapp is a daily survey app that asks over 10,000 teachers questions each day and reweights the results to make them representative.

**Snapshots are based on real Helpline and Childline service users but are not necessarily direct quotes. All names and potentially identifying details have been changed to protect the identity of the child or young person involved.

References

  1. 1. See below the exact wording and results used in the survey, conducted by Teacher Tapp and commissioned by the NSPCC.

     

    The total sample size was 8,410 teachers, of which 5345 were secondary school teachers.

     

    Fieldwork was undertaken on 28 July 2024.

     

    Do you think students overly worry that their exam results will determine their future?

     

    • True for the majority of students – 32%
    • True for half my students – 34%
    • True for a minority of students – 25%
    • Don’t know – 7%
    • Not relevant/cannot answer – 2%

     

    Social media can influence how students feel about results day:

     

    • Positively – 5%
    • Negatively – 51%
    • Makes no difference – 7%
    • Not sure – 34%
    • Not relevant/cannot answer – 3%