Middle-class parents 'timing conception to boost children's grades'

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They appear to be planning autumn births to ensure their offspring are among the oldest in their year at school, researchers claim.

Studies have shown youngsters born at the beginning of the academic year in September are more likely to perform better in exams than those who are "young for their year" or born in July and August.

At the same time, poorer families, whose children are entitled to free school meals, appear not to be making such deliberate calculations, the study suggests.

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Getting ahead: Middle class parents 'time' pregnancies so their kids can do better in school

It warns that middle-class "conception decisions" are partly to blame for one of the biggest problems facing education - the continuing poor performance of children from working-class homes.

The study of three million-children, called When You Are Born Matters, reveals that, even at 16 after 11 years of schooling, the impact of a pupil's month of birth can be seen in GCSE results.

While 60.7 per cent of September-born girls achieve at least five A* to C grades at GCSE, only 55.2 per cent of girls born in August do.

Of boys born in September, 50.3 per cent achieve at least five C grades, compared with only 44.2 per cent of those born at the end of the school year.

The research, by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, calls for "urgent" action to address the issue, including adjusting pupils' test scores to take account of their age.

Another option would be to allow more flexibility in the timing of when children start school.

Ministers said they were considering the "very interesting" report.