If you’re without a place, you still have real options - and a safety net. Here’s how to find a course or training place now.
Some colleges and sixth forms still have places after results day, so contact providers directly rather than assuming applications are closed - enrolment often runs through results week. Look at Level 2 as well as Level 3 courses, and at apprenticeships and T Levels. Use the National Careers Service to search courses and get free advice, and contact your local authority. And the September Guarantee requires local authorities to ensure 16- and 17-year-olds have an offer of a suitable education or training place.
This is plain-English guidance for England, based on official gov.uk, Ofqual and National Careers Service information. Every school, sixth form and college runs its own admissions and enrolment, so for the decision that applies to you, speak to the provider directly - they can often help far more than a general rule suggests.
September Guarantee & participation duties: gov.uk: participation of young people.
Being without a place on results day feels daunting, but there are routes forward. Some providers still have places, colleges enrol into September, and the September Guarantee is there as a backstop. The key is to make calls, not assumptions.
Some colleges and sixth forms still have places and enrol through results week and into September. Contact them directly rather than assuming applications are closed. Source: National Careers Service ↗
It requires local authorities to ensure every 16- and 17-year-old has an offer of a suitable education or training place - a backstop so no one is left without an option. Source: gov.uk ↗
No. It is about a suitable offer of education or training, not a particular provider or course. You can still approach other providers about the specific course you want. Source: gov.uk ↗
You must be in education or training until 18, but that includes apprenticeships and part-time study alongside work. Your local authority can help you find a place. Source: gov.uk ↗
See all the routes open to you at 16, and the safety net behind them.
What are my options after GCSEs? →Can I resit my GCSE? →Last checked August 2026. This is a plain-English summary of official guidance; always check the linked Ofqual, JCQ and exam-board pages for the definitive rules, which can change.
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