Busy results day for call handlers as clearing begins

A-level results day can be an emotional and chaotic experience for the thousands of students across the country receiving their grades.

But that is doubly true for students who did not get the grades they were hoping for, received better grades than they were expecting, or have simply changed their minds about what university is right for them.

Those students are the most likely to enter clearing, a process where universities match students with courses that still have spaces.

First introduced in the UK in 1965, clearing is the route many students use to find a place on a university course.

BBC South visited Bournemouth University's clearing call centre on A-level results day to find out what goes on behind the scenes.

One call handler, Trudie Jones, said that by early afternoon, she had already answered 20 calls and had made four offers to students.

She said some of the callers were frantic, adding: "A lot of people think they've done really badly, but then they tell us and we say - you can do any course you want, really.

"Today, I actually had someone calling for mechanical engineering with a foundation year, but I was able to offer them straight engineering.

"It seems really daunting, but it's actually a lot easier than it's made out to be, and you can actually hear the relief in their voice."

Vice-chancellor and CEO of Bournemouth University, Alison Honour, said last year more than 77,000 students had been placed on a university course through clearing.

"Sometimes these are students that are trading up, and potentially looking for a different type of course or university," she said.

About 33% of students who found a place on a course through clearing in 2024 were either "trading up" or had simply changed their minds, according to the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS).

A report from UCAS said only 24% of students who had gone through clearing in 2024 chose to do so because they had missed their grades.

But is it fair to expect students to make a decision about the next three years of their lives based on a short phone call?

Honour argues there is no rush.

"The lines are going to be open at most universities into next week. The most important thing is to find the course that is right for you," she said.

Seen as a business, clearing is also a way to fill lecture hall seats and increase revenue from tuition fees and university accommodation.

Bournemouth University is one of several institutions that have begun offering incentives to students who apply through clearing - in its case, a discount of £2,000 towards university accommodation.

"It is a great offer, and it does attract some of our students," its vice-chancellor added.