My daughter's a level teacher just threatened

E isn't a good grade BUT it's still relatively early. I would think if she isn't putting in much effort into her class/homework and so the teacher doesn't see much room for improvement then the teachers threat is fine. If not, maybe a bit harsh

An E is a bad grade. Its one up from a U, which is Ungraded. My college wouldnt let you continue to upper 6th if you didnt get higher than a D in Lower 6th. My DP got DDE and was thrown out in lower 6th.

E is a pass and no student should be stopped from taking an exam for getting passes, however low. That's massaging the league tables and should be banned. The school should instead be looking at how to help her improve rather than potentiallly damaging her future chances just to make their own results look better.

And lots of sixth forms teach subjects that don't require GCSE - law, sociology, psychology, economics, government & politics to name a few.

Love the goady opener, of course an E is a decent enough grade.

When you say threatened , what exactly do you mean? It's a rather loaded word. Do you mean advised/ suggested?

The deadline for exam entries in now. So this may be 'only a term' but decisions need to be made. Are you sure the teacher didn't say that she wanted to enter your DD for an AS rather than the full A Level?

FWIW I teach in a comprehensive and very few students get Es. Most are working already somewhere near the level they will eventually get.

The ones currently getting E type outcomes would be a concern because it is suggesting they are not grasping or retaining knowledge, their skills are not refining themselves eg essay writing) , they are not working hard enough- or possibly finding the step up just very hard.

Things have changed A LOT since the experience of most posters on here! Nearly all unis for all subjects ask for BCC or higher, for example.

Your DD's GCSE profile suggests she should be achieving far more highly already. Ability isn't the barrier.

" strongly suspect that they are worried about their league tables. This subject tends not to get grades any lower than a C."

An "outstanding" 6th form college up the road from me was found to have been "discouraging" anyone not getting excellent grades from being entered into mocks. The principal had to resign.

An E is not a great grade but it not a fail. In the current moment to threaten a student in this way is worth complaining about

@LNSL

Yes, but her path in life will be much less stressful if she aims for what she is good at. Forcing herself through a subject when she can barely even pass a test on a few units isnt going to do her much good.

I would have loved to have some exams in a language but I just couldnt do it. I've spent my adult life trying to learn a language but it just doesnt work for me. If I had tried to stick at in school in order to use for uni applications etc then I would have failed, and had a very different life.

How are A-Levels graded? When I did them (many years ago) a certain % would get each grade. So a certain number would get an E. Isn’t that how GCSEs are graded now?

If she needs to go over basic concepts a number of times to grasp them, I’m not sure an A level in a new topic was a wise choice.

I think the teacher is being harsh, and probably just trying to get your DD to try a little harder. E isn't a great grade, at the end of two years study, but after just one term there is still plenty of time for improvement.

Although on top you could email the head and say you are concerned that they are manipulating results by refusing less able students to apply.
Whatever people's opinion on the grade this isnt fair on them.

*pulling their entry even -that what the student has been told!

I've just seem an email from a HOD where a year 13 had scored less than 15% and isn't engaging and the parents are backing the school with putting their entry- and we are private.

School need evidence -if the one bit of evidence is E and the others are U U U that student needs a HUGH kick up the bum -apply YOUR foot there and help
Grade are A B C D E U
ie any lower no grade.

[quote Peaseblossom22]@SleepingStandingUp many subjects are not taught at GCSE for example psychology, politics, economics, philosophy.

@Rowenasemolina that might be true for a science subject but for arts and humanities it’s more a gradual build up of skills in essay writing source assessment etc. My ds1 would have scored a D in January if year 12 he got an A five terms later .[/quote]
I dont know about the others but you absolutely can do psychology at GSCE. My DCs bog standard comp has always offered it.

To be fair your BCC would be equivalent to ABB these days - grades have increased a lot!

Academics aren’t everything?
How else do you suggest the teachers assess the students for A levels.
She’s working below the expected level. How can you expect the teacher to ignore that??

Is it just me that thinks this shouldn’t be the schools choice? Surely it makes a mockery of league tables if the school get to banish all of the failing students? What happened to learning for the joy of it, rather than exam results? Or believing in students? (Especially right now)! Are we really saying only young people expecting to pass exams can even sit them, and if so, why? I’d have been fucked. As it is I have a distinction at Masters, but I had to fight dyslexia, and Alevels were a nightmare. I did really badly on paper, but the things I learned, and the joy of the knowledge formed my choices and paths going forward.
I really don’t think the schools league table is the thing that needs protecting here.....

An E is a poor grade. She needs to try harder.

Unfortunately if you have an"e" on a cv its not going to do you any favours. She might be better to drop the subject and focus on others.
Dont be afraid to press the school on what they are doing to help her

You think an E is a decent mark. Why encourage your child to aim so low. No wonder the teacher doesn’t want to enter her for exams.

I messed up an exam in my AS year and got a D. Got an overall A in everything at the end of the A level year with full marks in four out of six modules. One E isn't the end of the world if she's willing to work really hard to improve.

That said, I'd be pretty concerned about any of my A Level pupils in Y12 getting an E, even at this stage, so it's worth having a discussion about how suited she is to it.