Does when your child was born have an effect on how they perform at school?
A recent research document seems to suggest that children born in the summer months do significantly worse in their exams than those borne earlier in the school year.
In an analysis of exam results in England State Schools it was revealed that pupils born in August were less likely to attain five GCSE's than those born in September. The Institute for Fiscal Studies suggested that a major factor in the children's results was the children's age when they sat the exams. The researchers said "Our work suggests that these differences predominately arise because August born children are almost a year younger when they sit their tests".
The Institute called for more flexibility in when the tests were taken. The Institutes report compared the actual percentages of children born in August who achieved the level expected for their year group with those of children born in September.
The survey showed that the gap in attainment between pupils born in September and those born in August at the end of Key stage two i.e. the last year in Primary school is in fact 14 percentage points.
Andrew Adonis the Schools Minister said that the findings would be considered alongside other issues in the consultations on the governments 10 year plan to improve the lives of school children. Mr Adonis also added "We are piloting changes to assessments in 500 schools so that children take national tests as soon as they are ready, rather than only at the end of a long Key Stage, as well as more than 30 pilot projects offering free childcare to two year olds". Mr Adonis also added that "This is a practical initiative which may also address the birth date issue".
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