City Council Leader, Cllr David Mellen, praises Nottingham’s young people:
“Today we celebrate A-Level results day and next week we will celebrate GCSEs. To mark the occasion a new Council House banner boldly declares how proud we are of Nottingham’s pupils.
But we all know this year has not been easy. Many young people will be celebrating successful results today, yet some may be left disappointed. It’s important that the results which have been published today accurately represent the achievement of Nottingham’s young people. I welcome the opportunity for young people to challenge their results if they don’t feel they’ve received a fair grading assessment.
Despite the changes to the examination system this year, I want to say how proud we are of Nottingham’s pupils for their resilience and the way they have coped:
- This year children and young people have had to respond to the covid crisis and lockdown.
- They have had to deal with uncertainty and disruption.
- They have faced the challenge of learning from home.
- They have missed their teachers and friends.
- They may well have experienced additional problems and tension at home as family circumstances are altered by the pandemic.
So firstly I’d like to thank everyone who has played a part in getting us through these difficult times. Teachers and school staff have worked incredibly hard to continue to support pupils throughout lockdown. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of parents and carers – many juggling work and also trying to provide home school support. I know this has been a huge challenge.
Secondly, but most importantly, I would like to congratulate our children and young people. It’s great if you’re pleased with your results today, but even if you’re not, please don’t feel downhearted. Be proud of the strength of character that has got you through coronavirus so far. You have shown your ability to be resilient, adjust to uncertainty and new ways of learning, persevere through tough times and find ways to look after yourself and others around you.
These are the character traits that will help you to do well in life – even when the importance of exam results begin to fade, these character traits will always be important life skills.
These are the skills that will help you go on to find jobs and employment, further training or apprenticeships. Taking these next steps will never be easy, but your resilience to adapt and keep going is a huge skill that you should rightly be proud of.
I would like to wish all of our children and young people a relaxing, and safe, summer. I would also like to reassure you that, while pupils are away, plans are being put in place to welcome you back safely in September. And to those pupils going on to take their next steps into the world, we wish you good luck and remind you that resilience is the key to success. Nottingham pupils we are proud of you.”
Support is available for children and young people
Careers advice: Futures Nottingham have experts available to give guidance on the next steps into ongoing education, training or employment www.the-futures-group.com and www.nottinghamjobs.com
Mental health: Targeted CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) and the Educational Psychology Service in Nottingham City – are working together to deliver a campaign of support to parents, children and young people to alleviate anxiety around exam results and also returning to school in September. They have launched a telephone line that parents can call throughout the summer holidays to discuss any concerns, the number is 0115 87 64700. And podcasts will be released each week which will be around themes of worries of children and young people. These are available at CAMHS Nottingham City YouTube Channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCEf1QiK2WJByHpoUOoHB-Yg. They will also be releasing ‘tips for parents’ to support around the preparation of returning to school. We recognise how this has been a challenging time for everyone and for those who normally experience some anxieties about schools this may be heightened. For more information about these services visit:
- Visit: www.asklion.co.uk/mhstnottingham
- Twitter: @nottm_eps
- Instagram @camhs_nottinghamcity