Teachers: What grades did you get in your own A Levels/GCSEs?

Not at all! And when I was in sixth form (93-95) most of the "Russell Group" universities - nobody used the term "Russell Group" then - weren't regarded as prestigious at all. The idea of redbrick universities as elite is very recent indeed.

This is exactly my point. I have dyslexia not assessed until I was an adult - GCSE's and A levels fairly average or possibly seen as below average by some. Yet I am a fairly good teacher (I am told and my students A level results reflect this!). Being academic does not necessary make a good teacher it is more complex.

I was so annoyed when the A levels went modular and A *grades came in. At a stroke, my excellent A level results were downgraded to mediocre.

AAB are absolutely not mediocre grades at any time in recent history. Most of the kids I know are getting Russell Group offers at that level. Yes, there are occasional competative subjects and unis that demand better (Oxbridge obviously). But we are doing are kids a disservice by implying As and Bs are mediocre.

"Those who can't, teach" is probably true of many Oxbridge grads. It's the career of last resort for those without connections or a fashionable degree subject. That doesn't mean we're all crap at teaching, of course, just that it tends to seem like the sole remaining avenue of opportunity once you've been laughed out of graduate job interviews for the unfashionable degree subject and laughed out of non-graduate job interviews for being overqualified.

I think I was in a minority in my year at Oxford who had straight As, but that was because I had an AAB offer so couldn't afford to drop the ball! Weird to think I had better A Levels than many who were vastly better educated than me and seemingly smarter as well. I got a 2:1 in the end, as did something like 80% of candidates. (An older boyfriend who had been at Cambridge in the 80s told me that 2:2 was the standard grade back then.) I've never taught my degree subject because there's very little call for it.

I was so annoyed when the A levels went modular and A* grades came in. At a stroke, my excellent A level results were downgraded to mediocre. At the same time I was aware of having (unwillingly) benefited from earlier grade inflation: I remember the then decade-old Latin O level papers which we used for A level preparation.

Also reading your post again. Teaching isn't only about "stretching the brightest", it's about getting every child to achieve their potential.

The worst teacher who has taught our kids is Cambridge educated, so I assume comes with a clutch of A grades. She's intolerant, doesn't explain, gives minimal feedback, marks very little work (although that is a schoolwide issue). There are teachers there who openly admit to making a hash of their own exams, one in particular is very good at lifting up students who are struggling and increasing their confidence.
There's a lot more to teaching than actually teaching, getting A grades doesn't necessarily mean you are cut out for it.

This is very true- if you want people with first class degrees, especially in STEM to become teachers, then the salary and working conditions need to be a lot more competitive!

Are the A-levels I did over a decade ago really that relevant to my subject knowledge now, though? If someone got poor A-levels, due to personal circumstances at the time, for example, does that mean they can't be a good teacher?

FWIW I got As at GCSE, A and C at A-level and a 2.1 degree in what I'd consider my "specialism", but I've also taught GCSE Physics, and my highest qualification in that is a B at GCSE. However, I do have the skills to teach myself the spec. I've also in the past taught A-level Psychology (which was my other A-level), which I got an A in, but don't have any higher qualifications than that!

Stretching the brightest students is often not solely down to subject knowledge, although good subject knowledge can help interest students of all abilities. But often the stretch is thinking up activities that ask them to apply their knowledge, or synoptic activities which link together lots of different topics, or analysis tasks etc.

There are also things on the biology syllabus (e.g. relating to genetics) which I didn't learn at GCSE or A-level, the syllabus changes as new research is done and we gain greater understanding in some areas. Therefore, I do think it's important to keep reading widely around my subject and keep my subject knowledge up to date. In 20-30 years time, it's very likely some of what I learnt on my degree will be seen as out of date.

I didn't become a teacher till my late 30s. I always tell students to get life experience first.

I would in no way have wanted to teach in my 20s!

Teaching probably isn't that attractive an option for those getting straight As and first class degrees.
No disrespect to teachers, quite the opposite.
Its not magnificently paid, not well respected and seems to me like very hard work!
Lots of other things I'd encourage my child to do tbh.

@puffyisgood I worked at a school with a large Maths department with in the main well qualified and able Maths teachers (I'm not Maths but had a desk in the same room). I noticed that all the really hard problems, extended essay projects in Maths all found their way to "Joan". Maths teachers know who can do it!

As previous posters have said, a teachers results for GCSE, A level or degree class are not an indicator of whether they will be good or excellent teachers. In fact I would argue strongly that having experience of struggling in a subject makes you a better teacher.

I have worked with teachers with first class degrees who have not been very good teachers but schools/colleges have employed them because of the attitude displayed in the op's post.

@Hbh17 I agree. That's why I didn't give grades, because my 'A's date from the "old money" era.

I've been thinking some more about the OP and I reckon the best interview would be:

Have them teach a lesson to a mixed ability class. Ensure the tech isn't working properly; arrange a couple of people to wander in during it and ask for directions and/or maybe spill something sticky. Get someone to drill or operate a chainsaw outside the window.

You'd soon find out who had the right stuff.

I'd only really care about a teacher's grades if they were teaching something really tecchie, A level further maths springs to mind.

I'm not a teacher, but the age of the candidate will be relevant as there has been massive grade inflation over the years. When I was at university, firsts were vanishingly rare (especially in arts and humanities), there were a reasonable number of upper seconds and lower seconds were standard. At that time, only 10% of 18 year olds went to university, so all of these people were at the academic "top end". Post-Blair Government, the numbers have changed dramatically.

I would also agree that teaching ability doesn't necessarily equate with getting the highest degree classification. Why not watch them deliver a lesson?

I was thinking just this!

My brother, with a First and MSc in Maths can't explain anything to my kids. He thinks that because he needed so little explanation to grasp concepts he cannot access the words and analogies a good maths teacher would use or start to empathise with why someone wouldn't understand. We have a friend who teaches Functional Maths in an FC colleague to kids who didn't get GCSE. She has A Level Maths and a Teaching qualification. she's helped our kids with GCSE so much and seems to have a toolkit of different explanations. I'm quite dismayed at your question, the worth of a teacher is their ability to engage with and teach young people, not whether they got a 2.1 or 2.2.

I got excellent grades and a first class degree in the subject I teach (I didn't get in to Cambridge for it though) and in my heart of hearts I know that I'm better at teaching the top end than those who struggle. I'm good with SEN though.

But on the other hand, it's a tough subject, that is optional, so I'm well matched to it and those who are struggling probably should have been advised better...

However, there are plenty of opportunities in life to experience what it feels like to find learning something difficult. Everyone's got something to draw on.

The most important assets for success in teaching are organisation, optimism, physical and mental health and energy, patience with bureaucracy (including governors) and people reinventing the wheel, liking being with children or teenagers and ideally a private income!

Subject knowledge is quite far down the survival list tbh.

One of my favourite teachers had failed the subject first time round- it made her brilliant at teaching it as she understood pitfalls and common misunderstandings.
Those who sail through a subject don't always know how to teach it- they just know it.

A different perspective from me. I have an A* in GCSE and an A in A-level and then a degree in a different subject. I teach my degree subject- fine. I also teach the subject I did for GCSE and A level. I am a very good GCSE teacher, know the syllabus well, good understanding of content etc. I can teach A level but I would struggle to stretch the brightest students. I admit this to the school and much prefer teaching GCSE only in this subject.

Well said.
But I'll answer the governor's question. My A level grades were average but I scraped into a Russel group university and achieved a first because I worked hard and loved my subject. There were thirty on my course and three of us got firsts. I also have a MA from the OU and a post grad psychology qualification which were completed whilst I was teaching full time. That was over twenty years ago though, there is no possibility of that level of study for me now. I wouldn't be able to afford it and as I work on average sixty hours each week I'd lack time and frankly be too tired.
As you're a governor I urge you to put your energy into understanding the reality of teacher recruitment - it's in an appalling state- and start lobbying about that. Be brave and publicise to the parents about the number of applications you have for posts. It might help them to understand that the education system is collapsing around us.

This entirely

Only one got a first on my English degree many moons ago as apparently none of the rest of us deserved it!
A pp mentioned computer science. Recruitment a huge issue at my son's secondary....

If they have O levels then their grades at O, A and degree level will be significantly different. In my year at Uni (Russell Group) there were over 100 students on my course and only 3 got a 1st.