THIS week will bring mixed emotions for many parents and young people because of the GCSE results.

Those not getting good grades may (wrongly) believe that life is over and those with great results may (wrongly) believe that life will now be wonderful.

The belief, fostered by the educational establishment, that those with at least five passes have a magic entrée to a meaningful and fulfilling life, and that others are somehow doomed, is nonsense.

A couple of examples of an opposite picture might help.

Tim came to our alternative education college at the age of 14 after two years out of school.

He showed a talent for drawing and two years later he took four GCSEs, gaining one C, two Ds and an E.

He took his portfolio to the local further education college and they commented at interview that as he had learned to manage his own learning he was likely to be successful in college.

This proved correct as he gained the prize for the best student and went on to university.

Soon after he graduated from university he gained the “Best New Blood” award in the National Design Awards and his work for a hospital won the award for the “Best Use of Visual Art in Healthcare”.

He now has a very successful self employed career with a growing reputation.

James came to us having been out of school for some years and he took just two GCSEs but managed to persuade a sixth form college in Brighton to take him to study AS levels.

He then passed his A-levels and went to university, gaining a 2.1 degree. And we have more examples like this.

The problem is that most schools are really bad at helping their students to explore options beyond 16.

They often fail to work with each individual to help them to make good choices about how to progress and hence we have had the problem of Neets (Not in Education, Employment or Training).

In 17 years we have had no Neets at 16. All our students have gained college places.

Some have impeccable GCSE passes, others don’t.

We believe that an educational institution should be judged more on its ability to prepare young people for the tests of life, not a life of tests.

Every secondary school should aim for no Neets, not high pass rates in exams.

The supposedly successful can, incidentally, also find problems.

Many are shunted into the wrong courses just because they have good GCSE passes and then end up on the wrong degrees.

This again occurs because there is an obsession with exam passing to the detriment of real support for young people to help them to navigate a complex world and make good choices about the kind of life that they want to lead.

Dr Ian Cunningham Chairman of Governors Self Managed Learning College Technology House West Road Fishersgate