Suffolk New College boss: Advice after your GCSE results

For every heartbreak, like the men’s hockey shoot out, Jeremiah Azu getting disqualified from the 100m heats or Team GB’s gymnastic teams both coming fourth, you have incredible examples of elation. 

Keeley did it - you can too, whatever your GCSE results, says Alan Pease from Suffolk New College
Like when Keeley Hodgkinson won the 800m, Alex Yee came back from nowhere to win the triathlon or Bryony Page got gold in the trampolining after getting a bronze and silver during previous Olympics. These were epic sporting moments. 

In terms of another Team GB medal winner, we are incredibly proud to have a connection to the Team GB medal winner, Lewis Richardson. 

SNC's Simon Mullan coached Olympian Lewis Richardson (Image: ADAM DAVY/PA WIRE)
One of our welding lecturers - Simon Mullan - has coached Lewis since the age of 13. 

Now 14 years on – Lewis has a bronze medal in his pocket – after showing tremendous resilience to even get to Paris 2024. 

(His weight category changed so he had to lose a significant amount of weight to qualify). 

We are hopeful that Lewis will come and join us at Suffolk New College this year – but even if he isn’t able to do so, his story can be used as a source of inspiration to anyone involved in education. 

Many of our students will have put in an Olympian effort this past few years and they will all be awaiting their GCSE results with interest in the coming days. 

It’s an exciting time filled with different emotions – just like the Olympics - and whilst you can get your results online these days, many of our students prefer the traditional method of physically coming in to college to receive their grades on a piece of paper. 

The vast majority of people who gain GCSE results with us relate to maths and English. 

Some are looking to get a grade 4 and above because they were unable to do so at school.  

Others may be endeavouring to get on a degree programme. And some like to take them just for fun. 

We always stumble across many inspirational stories each year. 

I know that one of our students from this year’s group who took English is a great grandfather in his 70s.  

He left school at 12 and went back into education with us to support his love of writing. Let’s hope he – and everyone else - can get the grade he desires. 

Of course it’s not all about GCSEs.  

Be inspired by Simone, says Alan
The vast majority of our students received results for their vocational programmes and T Levels last week. 

We were particularly thrilled with health student Tanner Minter who was the only person to get top marks on a T Level programme. 

All in all – getting results is a frantic time – however colleges across the county – including us at Suffolk New College – are here to support people of all ages as they contemplate their next steps. 

Whatever course people have taken, and whatever results they get, it’s always important to have some perspective. 

There is always a route to your dream university course, apprenticeship of job. 

Perhaps you might have to look at an alternative route to the one that you had planned. 

But whatever your circumstances, there is support there for you.

Have the belief in yourself to know that you can always get to where you want to go. 

And if you ever need any inspiration, just channel the amazing Olympic achievements from either Paris or previous games. Believe that you can jump higher that Simone Biles. Dare to do the decathlon like Daley Thompson or cycle as fast as Chris Hoy.  

Or watch the upcoming Paralympics. 

No matter how you have done – think of this as the start of your race – and like the great Usain Bolt said – ‘don’t think about the start of the race, focus on the ending’. 

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