Proud parents planning to spend nearly £500 to celebrate exam results

A poll of 1,500 parents of 16-18-year-olds found a cash gift is the most popular way to mark the announcement of their children’s grades.

Others intend to buy their offspring items of clothing, smartphones, shoes and jewellery. With laptops, festival tickets and even a holiday featuring in the top 30 most common post-exam result gifts.

But while the average parent will be splashing £467 on their child, this rises to £902 in London, £783 in Northern Ireland, and £630 in the West Midlands. 

And while parents in Northern Ireland will most likely to invest in a new laptop for their child, those in Wales are prioritising experiences, such as tickets to exhibitions or money towards a spa day.

More parents in the South West are expected to buy a musical instrument than elsewhere in the UK, while those in the East Midlands are most likely to contribute to a new car, and in the East of England, a motorbike.

The survey was commissioned by Moonpig, which offers cards and a wide range of celebratory gifts for results day. A spokesperson said: “It’s interesting to see the different trends in how parents celebrate across the country.

“But no matter how much you’re planning to spend or the types of gifts you choose to buy – all that matters is your kids knowing how proud you are of them.

“Results day is such a huge milestone in the lives of young people, and for them to know that you appreciate all the work they’ve put in is the most important thing.”

The study found 68% of parents will give gifts and cards regardless of the grades their kids achieve. As 74% claimed all they really care about is the work put in to reach this milestone.

Although 23% said that while they will definitely buy a gift either way, these will differ depending on the results achieved. Which may be why only 36% have already purchased the gift they’re planning to give in honour of results day. With 28% saying the same about a card, according to OnePoll.com data.

The research also looked into the factors parents believe most motivate their kids to succeed – with their own sense of achievement and personal ambition the top answers.

But despite this sentiment, half of parents admitted to, at some point, using presents or cash to motivate their children to achieve certain grades.

Which may be due to the pressures felt by 38% from external forces, such as other parents and social media, to spend money celebrating results day.

Moonpig’s spokesperson added: “No matter the grades, it’s a massive achievement and rite of passage worth celebrating. And it’s nice to see that the majority of parents agree that kids should be celebrated regardless of their results. We personally can’t wait to see all the things this generation will go on to do in their lives – and how this will shape the future.”