Disadvantaged children 'a year behind in learning' by age three

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A project tracking 15,500 boys and girls born between 2000 and 2002, dubbed "Generation Blair", found a child's life is still determined by the class, education, marital status and ethnic background of his or her parents.

In vocabulary tests the threeyearold sons and daughters of graduates were found to be more than 10 months ahead of those from families with few qualifications.

Middle-class children were also 12 months ahead in their understanding of colours, letters, numbers, sizes and shapes.

The project tracked the children from soon after they were born, noting circumstances of pregnancy and birth, parental background and their progress in the early months of their life.

Professor Heather Joshi, the project's director, said: "The families into which they were born did not provide a level starting point."

But she added: "These children are on a marathon. They should not be written off if they come through their early years and are not ahead in the race."

The study will disappoint government ministers who have pledged to improve the chances of disadvantaged children, particularly through the Sure Start programme.

It found girls were three months ahead of boys and Bangladeshi children were a year behind white contemporaries.