Background still key to success at school

It suggests that a child’s social background still has a major impact on how well they do.

The study, led by Oxford University, comes just days after separate research in Scotland found that the subjects a pupil chooses had more impact later in life than the school they went to.

For the Oxford study, researchers from the university worked with the Swedish Institute for Social Research.

It found their parents’ education, social status and social class had a stronger impact than their natural academic abilities.

The second study, by Dr Cristina Iannelli of Moray House School of Education at Edinburgh University looked at the links between the subjects, or curriculum, a child studies at school, the school they attended and their social status later in life.

It showed people from more advantaged social backgrounds were more likely to have studied more courses in subjects like English, maths, science and foreign languages,.

Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said that the Edinburgh University research showed that young people have the best chance if they study key academic subjects. “We introduced the English Baccalaureate to encourage more pupils to take these rigorous subjects because we know these are the ones most valued by universities and employers,” she said.