Lancashire students anxiously waiting for exam results urged to seek support from Talkzone

Lancashire County Council says that whilst students this year will benefit from a range of adaptations to maximise fairness following the pandemic disruption, they understand that many will still be anxious while waiting for their results.

At Talkzone, a mental health service for young people, students can speak with trained advisers in confidence and chat through their exam results and anything else that might be concerning them.

As well as being on offer to students, Talkzone is also available to young people between the age of 12 to 19 years and up to 25 years for those with a disability.

The service can be accessed by telephone, email, text and webtalk from 2pm to 10pm every day, including weekends and Bank Holidays.

County Councillor Jayne Rear, cabinet member for education and skills at Lancashire County Council, said: “Because of the disruption to formal exams caused by the pandemic, students’ results have been determined by their teacher's assessments over the past couple of years.

“That approach was understandably very stressful for them. Now that we have reverted to the more traditional approach to exams, students will also need information, support and advice.

“For some students, this will be their first experience of formal assessment and waiting for results can cause considerable anxiety. I urge them to give Talkzone a try.

She added: “Through Talkzone, young people can speak with trained advisers in confidence and chat through anything concerning them, as well as their exam results. Staff are able to talk about anything from feeling low, relationships, finding work or training, to leaving home."

Since it was set up 29 years ago, Talkzone advisers have responded to thousands of enquiries from young people on a huge range of issues.

Daisy Welsh, who manages Talkzone, said: "Talkzone is available 365 days a year to offer information and support to any young person regarding any concerns they may have.

“Now that we have returned to more traditional exams, I imagine some students will be very concerned about their grades. My colleagues and I are on-hand to offer advice and support.

“We can help students to identify options and support for young people who may not have a place sorted out, or for those whose results have been better or worse than expected.

"Whether the issue is large or small, Talkzone is available to help, so please don't be afraid to call, text or contact us online."

Lancashire County Council adds that options are available for young people who have not achieved the GCSE results they needed or are unsure about their next step.

In addition to contacting Talkzone, young people are urged to contact the college or further education provider that they had planned to attend and discuss the options and courses that are still available to them, whilst any support that they need can also be discussed.

Young people can call Talkzone on 0800 511 111, text on 07786 511 111 or email [email protected]

Alternatively, they can get in touch through the council’s access webtalk services or via Facebook.