Fresh new shirts and smart new shoes have been bought and summer holiday tans are already fading, signs that can point only to one thing – it’s time to go back to school. But stresses and strains at the start of a new academic year can be just as overwhelming for parents as for children. For those in need of support ...

We must protect our meritocratic principles at all costs There remains, just about, a consensus in Britain that admissions to university should be based on achievement alone. Our meritocratic institutions still take in students on the basis of their grades at school and extracurricular activities, notwithstanding the efforts of some politicians to create categories of applicant who would be given ...

GCSE Results Day has finally arrived: this morning thousands of students across the country will be considering their options for the future. Although A-levels remain the traditional route taken for post-16 education, there are several alternatives that students can consider. Here is our guide to apprenticeships, BTECs, NVQs, and traineeships are. Apprenticeships What is an apprenticeship? Apprenticeships combine study with practical training on the job, and provide an excellent alternative ...

Teenagers across Britain are eagerly waiting for their GCSE results pour in today, after months of revision and summer exams. Schools, teachers and pupils in England are also braced for confusion, however, as the 9 – 1 grading scale introduced last year replaces the old A* – G in even more subjects. Here’s everything you need to know about the new system ...

It felt like a make-or-break moment for millions of 18-year-olds last week, as they collected grades that determined whether or not they had obtained a university place. Over the next few weeks, thousands will be shuffled through the clearing process, matching up students without a place to universities with slots to spare. For the students going through it, the process ...

Got a question about A-level results or you’re not sure what to do next? Today, the Telegraph is hosting a special results day Q&A between 12pm and 2pm. If you’ve got a question, drop it at the bottom of the Q&A article page, join us for the live session, or email editorialcommunities@telegraph.co.uk Students can get almost half of the questions wrong and still get ...

‘What are you going to study at university?” This was the presumptuous question I faced countless times last year and each time a person asked me, they were often left surprised by my response. I knew from an early age that university wasn’t for me. I couldn’t picture myself studying full time for another three years, and the thought of ...

Armed with your GCSE results, at last you’re in a position to decide on your next step. Should you carry on into the sixth form and study for A-levels? If so, what A-levels should you be doing? If your GCSE results were disappointing, should you be retaking? Most students who have decided to continue into sixth form will have provisionally ...

Soon, it will be a year since I last had an alcoholic drink. Getting sober has much to recommend it: a clear head; no hangovers; sparkling eyes; renewed energy; the realisation that nobody has ever woken up in the morning and thought: “Oooh, I wish I’d had some booze last night…” But it is not all good news. Climbing onto ...

Too many pupils are being pushed out of mainstream classes in England and abandoned with an inadequate education, says a report from MPs. The education select committee warns of a “Wild West” approach to the education provided for pupils who have been excluded from school. There were also concerns about schools removing pupils to boost their position in league tables. ...