19/08/2026
GCSE Results Day - The Grace Report
Tomorrow is GCSE results day, which means Facebook will once again become a fascinating place where apparently every child in Britain has achieved straight 9s, cured cancer and secured a place at Oxford by lunchtime. 😂
So, before the “Couldn’t be prouder of my little superstar ⭐️❤️” posts begin, I thought I’d say something slightly different.
GCSE results matter. If you do really well, you have more options as you decide what to do next. If you don't do as well as you hoped, you may have fewer options, but there are still options. You can resit, take a different route, work your way up and find your own path.
What GCSE results absolutely do NOT tell you is whether you have succeeded at life.
And that brings me to Grace.
I won't be posting Grace's results tomorrow. Those who need to know will know. Instead, I'm going to tell you about the things that aren't printed on a results sheet.
Her GCSE results won't tell you that she has the most wonderful sense of humour and makes me laugh every single day. She's incredibly quick-witted, sometimes far too quick-witted for her own good! 😂When she eventually learns how to harness that fabulous sense of humour, she'll realise what an amazing quality it is.
Life is never boring with Grace around.
Her results won't tell you that she's incredibly hard-working.
When we moved house in February, Grace spent eight hours outside in the freezing cold helping me build a shed. And I can confirm that no GCSE grade prepares you for assembling a garden shed while questioning every life decision that led you to that moment. 😂
When a member of staff rings in sick, Grace will get herself up, dressed and into work for 9am to cover the practice to help out.
When my brother and his family moved house, Grace was up and out with me at 8am to collect the van, then spent the entire day lugging furniture around. Last week she went and painted her Nan's conservatory all on her own.
Her results won't tell you that she's incredibly kind. They won't tell you how much she loves it when her nephews climb onto her knee and fall asleep.
They won't tell you how much she enjoys spending time with me, although I suspect she mostly enjoys beating me at golf and then reminding me about it for the next six months. Apparently her drive always goes further than mine. 🙄😂
They won't tell you how much she loves going to the football with me and watching Liverpool at Anfield. And they certainly won't tell you that she has developed a particular affection for calling the linesman a "sausage" whenever he misses an offside. 😂
Her results won't tell you that she's generous, with both her time and her money.
They won't tell you that she's courageous and will stand up for people who can't stand up for themselves. She isn't afraid to put her head above the parapet and defend someone when she believes they're being treated unfairly.
None of that is on a GCSE certificate.
So tomorrow, while Facebook fills up with grades, percentages, photographs of results sheets and proud parents telling us that their offspring have single-handedly conquered the education system, I won't be joining in.
Because whatever those pieces of paper say, I already know exactly how well Grace has done.
She's kind. She's funny. She's hardworking. She's generous. She's brave. She's loyal. She's compassionate. She's bloody good company.
And, most importantly, she's my daughter.
Grace, whatever your results say tomorrow, you haven't failed at life and you haven't succeeded at life either.
You've simply finished one little chapter.
Now go and write the next one.
And knowing you, it'll probably involve a golf club, a paintbrush, a football match, a sleeping nephew and you taking the rip out of your dad. 😂❤️
I'm incredibly proud to call you my daughter.
I can't wait to see where life takes you. ❤️
