My daughter's a level teacher just threatened

[LNSL]

not to even enter her for her a level exam. Seems a little harsh no? She's in the lower sixth. Got an E on a recent test, which I thought was decent enough.

What do you think to this?

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.

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?

@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.

@Cam77

A decade plus at school and three years at university taught me that grades are all a load of wank at the end of the day.

Yeah, put that on your job application!

Thanks @bewilderedhedgehog. Yes she's enjoying it. She just needs time, as I said there are some learning issues which she has support for. If this was Jan of upper sixth I'd be concerned but It's still early days. One example - she got 8s in her 3 sciences in her gcse mock exams. She got 2/3s in these same subjects in the year 10 summers exams...

" 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

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.

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

@LNSL

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

I got BCC at A level. Went to my first choice Russell group uni. I've had a fulfilling career so far.

My husband failed his A levels twice. He was v bright but lazy and eventually got to uni via a HND. He has had a wonderful career - v exciting job with loads of perks and is a v high earner.

Academics aren't everything.

Elaborate humble brag thread op

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

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.

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 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

@Leeds2

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.

totally agree - the transition from GCSE to A level can be tough - I suspect the tutor has said 'look if your grade does not improve from an E by the end of the school year you will not be able to continue with this A level' - but she has 2 terms to raise that grade - tell her to crack on with it

I should add, he is a highly intelligent man with sever dyslexia and exams were never for him. Hes now a very successful tradesman and exams and academia certainly arent everything.

Well if she’s enjoying it, learning and behaving herself in lessons then I really don’t see why an E at this stage in the course is grounds for exclusion from the final exam.

OP I dont understand why you posted when you clearly can't take criticism! Let's be honest an E is rubbish (whether she's been doing it for 1 term or not? ? "Academics aren't everything" ummmm??? Not sure what world you are living in, but in the current climate actually they are!!!!

Did the tutor actually offer any constructive support about how she could improve and what it is she needs to improve on.

It's not a great attitude to tell a student they aren't good enough 1 term in. Especially atm when all the hr 12's I know have have blended learning and even some isolations.

I am not sure this is a real post ! Just stirring with a random topic.

@MissVanji

OP I dont understand why you posted when you clearly can't take criticism! Let's be honest an E is rubbish (whether she's been doing it for 1 term or not? ? "Academics aren't everything" ummmm??? Not sure what world you are living in, but in the current climate actually they are!!!!

oh come on - hardly 1 term with lock down and interrupted learning, isolation periods etc - especially if it's a new subject - honestly I've seen plenty of students pull grades up in the first year!

Op If academics aren’t everything then why do you care if she can’t do this A level?

If your dh did an HND after flunking A levels maybe you should consider alternative courses for her, as they might suit her learning style better. What are her other grades like? She can restart y12 in September if needs be and still be funded, any longer and she may need to self finance.

What subject is it?

OP hasn't said her DD has had interruptions. This would be the same for all the students in the group.

@RosesforMama

Jesus Christ, this thread.

Your daughter has done ONE TERM of A level study. An E now is a pass and might translate into a C or even a B by the end of the course. Naturally every fucker on Mumsnet has teens getting 6 A* at A level and having Oxbridge begging them to come in, but the real world isn't like that. Only you, she and her teacher can say, based on her prior results, whether she has a technique problem, a revision problem, has been very disrupted with covid etc, or whether she is doing ok.

My son has got 2 Us so far in one of his subjects. He hasn't quite got his head round the way he needs to present information in order to score, it's a new technique. I am not extrapolating from that that he will get a U in his final A level exam, although I accept it's also unlikely he'll get an A. He has learned that he has to put more work in to revision (of course he didn't take his GCSE exams, which hasn't helped) and will get the technique eventually.

My older son had a nervous breakdown during his sixth form, had to drop one A level completely and got CE for the other two. You know what, he still had two A levels and the fact that he had those two A levels is a far greater testament to his resilience and determination than if he had sauntered through 4 A* with ease.

Sometimes the people on here seem to live on a different, problem free planet, I swear.

I agree completely. My DD is the same age Op and she got EEC it's VERY early days and she's learning new things-how to write 7000 word essays with referencing, which she has never done before. I think E, though not a great grade but it's a grade. I think the teacher is trying to scare her maybe.

You think an E is a decent grade?!

If she's not going to work harder I can see why they wouldn't enter her, there's just no point.

On grades like that she won't get into Uni so why bother?

Sorry to be harsh but that's the reality.