My daughter's a level teacher just threatened

In short, A-levels are a lot less rigorous these days

I disagree. I hate sweeping statements like this
They reformed the A levels about three or so years ago when they decoupled them from AS levels. When DD took hers in 2018 they were much more rigorous than they had been a couple of years previously.

It's difficult to comment because everyone's education has been so disrupted. If your DD is a long way behind her cohort maybe the teacher is right. When DD was studying A levels the students who were regularly achieving Es and Us didn’t do well at A level. What is the subject?

Also, I would be pretty disappointed if I was paying for a private education only to be told to get a tutor. I hope your daughter manages to get past this and hope it is just a blip.

Agree with the teacher. Why put forward a kid who you have no evidence can pass?

An E for us at this point in the year is academic probation and an improvement is needed and loss of all free periods. We will not allow progression into Year 13 unless a student gets a C (but will allow a D in some extreme circumstances). We do it because the student will most probably fail the whole A Level if at least a D cannot be met by the end of Year 12. I have yet to have a student who entered Y13 with a D achieve anything higher than a D, usually E or a U.

The situation now is very, very different to when you did A Levels. I got BBC and had my pick of Science courses; most of my students are applying and getting offers that need ABB at a minimum and their insurances are around a BCC even for the non-Russell/Red Brick insitutions.

Perhaps you should re look at university applications given alot more DC are attending uni. Grade boundaries are very high at most russel group unis and I would be very surprised they would let you into first choice with your grades now. My DS needed AAB as did his friends and those that didnt cut it had to go into clearance. As for an E, my DD has struggled since starting 6th form, new school and a dad who is terminally ill. She still managed to get an average of Cs in recent tests with 77% attendance. So sorry an E isnt good enough and I should add my DD is doing maths, economics and geography so not easy subjects

Universities are a lot more competitive now than when you went, OP. You’d be unlikely to get into a RG with grades below ABB. If that’s what she wants for her next step then maybe take a look at the required grades for courses she’s interested in at a few universities to give her an idea of what she needs to be aiming for, might be motivational?
I think an E is not a great grade but it does depend on what the subject is as to whether it’s really problematic - as pp have said, if it’s material that she’s covered and expected to know by now for fact-based subjects like maths/science then it is a bit worrying. If she needs to develop her essay skills more for a subject like English then it’s maybe less of an issue.

Maybe the threat will cause her to work harder. After I got 12% in my 'O' level German mock my teacher suggested that I drop German and concentrate on my weaker subjects, I refused to drop it and then got the equivalent of a 7 or 8 in today's money. When I went back for the Sixth Form, not German, she never said Well done.

Years later we were going to be working in Germany and went out with brother and a couple of friends. I was asked about speaking German. I said that I had had a real cow of a teacher but I had remembered a lot of the structure. The man of the other couple said, Yes, and Auntie Anne is still as big a cow as ever she was! My brother had set me up well and truly.

I think I got a D or an E for an essay in one A level subject, but then got an A in the end. One essay is not necessarily representative is it?

@Nomorepies an E is not a fail at A level . Pass grades go from A* to E and fails from F

Has she discussed with the teacher what she can do to improve?
Has the teacher explained why she is only getting an E. If this is an essay based subject, this is very important at this stage as it takes some students some time to click on what they need to do.

How are they going to assess her in two weeks to see if there is an improvement?
Has she missed submitting work so they think she isn't pulling her weight.

Communication is the key here. Find out why she is getting an E from the teacher and then get your daughter a to make a plan to improve.

It can be very depressing knowing you are struggling in a subject.

I got 2 E’s 1 D and a U. Got into uni and got 2 first class degrees and the career I wanted 🤷‍♀️

She's had one term of disrupted A level course and they can't find any strategies to help her improve other than 2 weeks or you're out?

Terrible. What are you paying them for?

"The teacher said this to me, not to DD. She has give her 2 weeks to improve. If needs be I can get a tutor to help. I was just shocked that this is the ultimatum this early in the course."*

This is a private school, suggesting you get a tutor.
Fucking ridiculous

An E is not good at all. The test will be on the work covered so far so the E is reflective of her level. Unless something changes radically she is going to have wasted her time and would be better off spending the effort on something else.

I got a Cs and two Es in science A-levels. Lower than predicted. I didn’t quite get the grades for my course but got in as it had low numbers. I managed to get into university and got a first in the degree and went on to get a masters further down the line. An E is a pass. Imagine if I had been stopped from taking the A-level. Teachers should not prevent stundents from taking their A-levels if they are able to pass them.

@CurlyhairedAssassin There is a literature element to MFL and always has been. It's pretty rigorous. There's also an element called the independent research project which is a bit like a mini EPQ which they have to defend in an oral exam, a bit like defending in a viva.

Lots of my friends from school got Ds and Es
Same. But that was in the 90s. Things are different now.

Threatened or warned about the consequences? I think its useful for students to know that if they continue with an E grade, they won't get into the 2nd year of study. Yes, many pull their socks up but it starts with recognising that they either need to do much more work or ask for help.

Ignoring it won't work and neither will getting annoyed with the teacher for stating the obvious.

For information, I have taught many students who went from U/E's in January year 12 to A/B's in final A level, but they all did it with a change in attitude. I also return in year 13 every year with slightly smaller classes because the U's and E's are not allowed to return and it is very rarely a surprise who hasn't made it.

To add, even though we consider E "gradable", if they've spent yr 12 on Es and then get an E in summer mocks then they have to have a fairly rigorous interview with the head of sixth form before they can be given permission to continue into year 13.

Apologies, I think I could be mistaken about the literature component of A-level languages. A teacher actually told me that they no longer had to do that. But that was a few years ago now. I must have been mistaken or did they drop the literature for a few years?

Anyway.....

I teach sixth form in a deprived area. Anything which isn't a U is "gradable" and therefore of value to the student. Obviously Es and Ds are less preferable than Cs or above but we have a cohort of vastly ranging ability. For some, a D is the highest they'll get, but that doesn't mean they should be discouraged from doing it.

However I have had to have the E discussion with some year 12s this last week due to end of unit assessments and it's a "kick up the arse" talk as I know full well by now who is able but lazy and who is weak but makes an effort.

Even for weaker students I would however never settle for E as an acceptable target or achievement. If E really is the peak of all knowledge and effort, then A-Levels are not for that student. A target of a C with a working at grade of D is perhaps more realistic and will provide motivation.

My dd is in her first year of A level and there are several in the year above that are repeating the first year. I think if she’s not going to get a good enough grade to get into uni then maybe she needs to consider repeating the year or looking at other options?

Maybe being told this will give her the kick she needs or maybe A levels are not for her?

An E in year 12 does not mean they will improve in yr 13. Indeed for many subjects the yr12 content is the easiest content and it is therefore more likely that the grade will decrease over the course of y13 unless the reason for the E is that she is simply not working.

My guess is that the teacher has threatened not to enter her as a kick up the bum at this stage - the stick rather than a carrot

Only the DD will know whether or not this is the case. However OP an E is not a decent grade and you are doing DD a disservice if you tell her it is.

What are her other grades? Might she be better off repeating her y12 or even looking for some other course/apprenticeship instead?

I’d try and consider the teachers experience on this OP. Have they been in post for long? If they have, they will know statistically where students roughly ought to be at by this point. Maybe your DD is struggling with this subject ???