Students collecting their General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results in 2024 had access to a variety of freebies and discounts from high street chains to celebrate their achievements. The offers, which were largely concentrated in the food and beverage sector, required students to present proof of their results and, in many cases, valid student identification. The availability of these deals varied by restaurant, with specific terms regarding minimum spends, limited availability, and eligibility requirements applying to each promotion.
The primary source of these offers was the annual "results day" marketing campaigns run by national restaurant chains. These promotions were designed to reward students for their hard work during the exam season. Generally, to redeem these offers, students needed to visit a participating venue on or around GCSE results day, which took place on 22 August 2024, and present their results documentation. This could include paper copies, email confirmations, or text messages, alongside standard student identification.
Participating Restaurant Chains and Specific Offers
Several major restaurant chains participated in the 2024 GCSE results day promotions, offering a range of free items and percentage discounts.
Nando's
The peri-peri chicken chain offered a free quarter chicken or a starter menu item. To qualify for this freebie, students were required to spend a minimum of £7 on their order. This transaction could be for either eating in or taking away. The offer was valid on results day, and students needed to show their student ID along with their results, which could be in the form of an email, text, or paper version.
Frankie and Benny's
Frankie and Benny's provided a significant free food item, offering 50 free pizzas at each of its 57 restaurants. The promotion was available to students who presented their results slip. According to the terms, students could claim a free pepperoni or margherita pizza, but this was conditional on purchasing a large soft drink. As the offer was limited to 50 portions per restaurant, availability was restricted and likely subject to "while stocks last" conditions.
Bella Italia
For students preferring Italian cuisine, Bella Italia offered a free starter and dessert when a main dish was purchased. This promotion was specific to GCSE results day. Additionally, the chain promoted a year-round student discount, which required filling out a specific form on their website to activate.
TGI Fridays
TGI Fridays offered a 24% discount on the food bill for students who were members of their loyalty scheme, Stripe, and who showed their 2024 exam results. In previous years, the discount was 24%, but for the 2024 results day, the offer was updated to allow students to eat for free when one main meal was purchased. This highlights the importance of checking specific terms for the current year.
Wildwood
Wildwood provided students with a choice of free items: garlic rosemary bread, a classic margherita pizza, or spaghetti pomodoro. This offer was available on both GCSE and A-Level results days. To claim, students had to show their results slip and proof of age, and there was a minimum spend requirement of £7 per person.
Chiquitos
The Mexican restaurant chain Chiquitos offered a free adult main meal when a student purchased an adult main meal. Students were required to show their exam results to qualify. A representative from Chiquitos stated that the offer was intended to help hard-working students celebrate their exam results, acknowledging the financial pressures of the cost of living crisis.
Bill's
Bill's restaurant offered a free dessert to students who ordered a main meal. The promotion required students to present their results and student ID. The dessert menu included options such as mini cinnamon doughnuts, triple chocolate brownie, or passion fruit cheesecake.
The Ivy Collection
The Ivy Collection offered a results-day themed menu for students and their families. The deal consisted of a two-course menu for £29.95 or a three-course feast for £35.95. In addition to the meal, the student celebrating their results received a free goodie bag.
Wagamama
Wagamama offered a 25% discount on the total bill for students on GCSE results day. To access this discount, students were required to be signed up for the chain's loyalty scheme, known as the Soul Club.
Byron Burgers
Byron Burgers provided a free burger from their 'Proper Burgers' menu to GCSE students. This offer was specific to results day.
Eligibility and Verification Requirements
The eligibility criteria for these offers were generally consistent across most participating restaurants. The key requirement was proof of receiving GCSE results on the specific day. Students could present their results in various formats, including:
- Paper copies of results slips.
- Email confirmations of results.
- Text messages containing results.
In addition to proof of results, most offers required students to present a valid student ID card. Some promotions had specific conditions, such as:
- Minimum Spend: Nando's required a £7 spend to claim the free quarter chicken or starter. Wildwood had a minimum spend of £7 per person.
- Purchase Requirements: Frankie and Benny's required the purchase of a large soft drink to get the free pizza. Chiquitos' offer was structured as "buy one main meal, get one free."
- Loyalty Scheme Membership: The Wagamama discount was exclusive to members of the Soul Club loyalty scheme. The TGI Fridays discount was available to members of the Stripe loyalty scheme.
- Limited Availability: Frankie and Benny's offer was limited to 50 pizzas per restaurant, and Wildwood's offer was subject to availability.
- Proof of Age: Wildwood requested proof of age alongside the results slip.
IGCSE Students and Alternative Exam Schedules
Students taking International GCSEs (IGCSEs) were also eligible for many of these offers, provided their results day aligned with the standard GCSE schedule. For students taking IGCSEs with Edexcel or OxfordAQA International, results day fell on the same date as GCSEs (21 August 2025 in the context of one source's future planning, but applicable to the 2024 cycle for those exam boards).
However, students taking Cambridge International (CIE) IGCSEs were noted to potentially miss out on these specific results day deals. This is because CIE releases results on an earlier date (19 August in the example provided), which does not coincide with the promotional period set by the restaurants for the main GCSE results day.
Additional Promotions and Offers
Beyond the standard restaurant deals, other promotions were available. Gordon Ramsay’s Street Pizza in Southwark offered a specific deal allowing students 75 minutes of bottomless pizza during a set time window on results day. This offer was limited to a single restaurant location.
While the primary focus of the offers was on dining out, some sources also mentioned savings on takeaways for students who preferred to celebrate at home.
Conclusion
The landscape of freebies and discounts for GCSE results day 2024 was dominated by the hospitality industry. High street restaurant chains provided students with tangible rewards for their academic efforts, ranging from completely free meals and items to significant percentage discounts. The mechanisms for redemption were straightforward, primarily revolving around the presentation of exam results and student identification. However, students needed to be mindful of specific terms and conditions, including minimum spends, required purchases, loyalty scheme memberships, and limited stock, to successfully take advantage of these celebratory offers.