North East kids urged not to panic on GCSE results day

Thousands of kids across the North East are picking up their GCSE results today, but it's claimed some are buckling under the stress and pressure.

Published 24th Aug 2016

Students are being urged not to panic, as thousands pick up GCSE results in the North East this morning.

For many today marks the end of their formal education for others it's one more step towards university.

But charity Young Minds says that some teenagers will have feelings of stress, anxiety and worthlessness if they don’t achieve the grades they anticipated. They believe that all the tension can also leave parents feeling the pressure.

16-year-old Britney Leather, from Shotton Colliery, will be picking up her GCSE results in Peterlee this morning with hopes of attending Hartlepool Sixth Form. She said:

“When teachers say two years is all coming down to this last month you start to think, what if I’ve missed something or I haven’t learned everything I should…

“There’s loads of pressure. They were really stressful, especially because they're so close together, you might only have one night to revise for a paper the next day.

Whatever the outcome of their grades pupils and parents are being urged not to panic and weigh up their options.

Stephen Westgarth is Consultant child psychiatrist in Darras Hall. He said:

“It's one thing for parents to know they love their kids no matter what but it's worth telling your children that. Just help keep them balanced and help to get the message through to them that life is more than just a few exams results.”

Dr Edward Conn is a Counsellor and Psychotherapist based in Durham and Gosforth. He said:

*“**When you've just got the news, and you've been waiting weeks for it, it's been building up for a long period of time then this can be the hottest point. But a few days in it might seem a bit easier, once your mind starts to settle and you start to see things a bit more clearly.”*

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