As schools and colleges up and down the country analyse their 2018 A-Level results, remember:

1) Celebrate the group/ class/ individual successes

First and foremost and before anything else, celebrate the hard work and commitment that has led to this day. Richard Curtis says of Comic Relief ‘I’m driven by the big numbers but I’m obsessed with the small ones.’ The same is true in schools; don’t get bogged down in the big numbers today (L3VA, % A*-B etc) – today is about the individual students. Take joy in that!

2) Autopsy without blame

If results across the board/ within particular subjects or classes aren’t as positive as expected it is natural to want to ask ‘why’? But do it with a solution-focused mindset; be humble rather than defensive and keep the focus on understanding the ‘what, why and how’ rather than on the ‘who’.

3) Investigate success

Take advice from Sir Clive Woodward here; it is equally, if not more important, to drill down into why certain classes/ groups/ departments have done well. What can we learn from them and how can we build it into our wider practice in 2018-19? How can high performers support those that need support, both within our own organisations and across the wider system?

Good luck today!