Impact of parental education and support on pupil performance

mids2019 · 2025-09-16T11:53:45+00:00

I have a PhD in physics and in a fortunate position to help with my daughter with GCSE maths work in terms of algebra, trigonometry etc. as I have a mathematical background and still use maths I have to say that assistance has brought on results in terms of test results etc. Of course my daughter is primarily responsible but I can't deny parental support and education really helps. In some ways I can see it as a bit of an unfair advantage as other pupils in her class don't benefit from one to one tuition on the whole. I don't know if this should be viewed as unfair and you can't use having non university educated parents as a mitigation for any exam performance but it did make me think Universities contextualise for living in deprived regions but should we also look at parental education when looking exam results to level the playing field?

Doyouship · 23/09/2025 14:46

Op your daughter is struggling
Odd that you have focussed on your daughter’s constant pleas for help as being a sign of how blessed she is to have a parent like you rather than the elephant in the room…. Is that she’s out of her depth at school @mids2019

Fruitlips · 19/09/2025 18:44

mids2019 · 19/09/2025 18:33

We have took our daughter to one side to talk about the importance of English. We have had some engaging discussions about the themes of J.B. Priestly's 'As n Inspector Calls' with aid of revision guides.

Her teachers have now put her in a top set of English and she is doing well. More proof educated parents can both advocate for their children and support them for positive results.

The irony 😆

Fruitlips · 19/09/2025 18:44

Op why don’t you want to answer why you seem to have had to ask permission from school to get your daughter a tutor?
and
if your daughter is “constantly” asking for your help… there’s a problem

Original poster

mids2019 · 19/09/2025 18:33

We have took our daughter to one side to talk about the importance of English. We have had some engaging discussions about the themes of J.B. Priestly's 'As n Inspector Calls' with aid of revision guides.

Her teachers have now put her in a top set of English and she is doing well. More proof educated parents can both advocate for their children and support them for positive results.

OP posts:

RantingAnonymously · 18/09/2025 22:33

@TeenToTwenties

That isn't what levelling the playing field is about.
It is about helping ensure poorer kids get opportunities too.
It is about giving internships out on fair criteria not just on who you know or being able to afford to work unpaid.
It us about ensuring processes are clear and transparent, not a load of hoops that only insiders know about.

Well, it depends on how it's done.

Banning unpaid internships levels the playing field, because it stops giving an advantage to those kids who are fortunate enough that they don't need to work to sustain themselves, because the bank of mom and dad pays up. That (banning unpaid internships) is fair, I don't think many people would argue with that.

The problem is when we start getting into forms of affirmative action.
Say you need AAB for a university course, but contextual applications are made to those with lower grades. You can have a situation where non-contextual offers go to kids with AAA, contextual offers go to kids with ABB, and the kids with AAB who don't qualify for contextual offers miss out.

How fair or not this would be is hugely divisive.

BreakingBroken · 18/09/2025 18:38

the Unique Student Identifier will also be able to track all the schools a child attended.

Fruitlips · 18/09/2025 18:23

OP… has the school spoken with you about your daughter struggling in class?

Fruitlips · 18/09/2025 18:22

Hardhaton1 · 18/09/2025 07:34

Unique student identifierOne important policy initiative of the National School Reform Agreement is the introduction of a ‘unique student identifier’ (USI) to track individual student performance over time. This will enable data on educational outcomes to be more easily linked with other data held by state and federal governments, and provide researchers with a clearer picture of how educational outcomes shapes social, economic and health outcomes later life.
However, the Productivity Commission report notes the rollout of this initiative is well behind schedule.
The USI offers more than mere standardisation. Once in place, researchers will also be better able to evaluate the impact of education policy interventions by conducting randomised control trials, similar to those used by in medicine to assess the efficacy of new drugs and treatments. Such trials are crucial for assessing whether a particular education policy reform, for instance a new teaching method, has a causal impact on learning outcomes.

Part of the data collected here is parents current salary range and educational highest level of attainment.

It’s been delayed probably by Covid but the Data should be amazing when they’ve got a clean full set to track through a child from birth to death.
And everything that it’s needed in way of support and how that correlates with its parents background.
Obviously, we don’t have this in the UK, but we should

I feel 😳 for you @Hardhaton1

LemondrizzleShark · 18/09/2025 16:42

Hardhaton1 · 18/09/2025 07:36

Oh, I see you can’t read. Sorry you should’ve mentioned that people would’ve dumbed it down a little bit for you.
Never mind

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Bit rich from somebody who has randomly cut and pasted the google AI response to “What is USI?” into the thread, apropos of absolutely nothing.

twistyizzy · 18/09/2025 13:01

TeenToTwenties · 18/09/2025 12:58

That isn't what levelling the playing field is about.

It is about helping ensure poorer kids get opportunities too.
It is about giving internships out on fair criteria not just on who you know or being able to afford to work unpaid.
It us about ensuring processes are clear and transparent, not a load of hoops that only insiders know about.

Show quote history

It's not about "fair" criteria though. It's about excluding certain groups or preventing them access based on arbitrary criteria. Hence you have children of nurses excluded from Civil Service internships whilst children of train drivers included because of some politicised list.

It's identity politics. The intention may be good but the execution rarely is.

TeenToTwenties · 18/09/2025 12:58

thirdistheonewiththehairychest · 18/09/2025 07:54

I have to say I struggle with the whole idea of 'levelling the playing field'. What's wrong with some people being better at some things than others, whether through genetics or effort? Why does everyone need to be the same?

That isn't what levelling the playing field is about.

It is about helping ensure poorer kids get opportunities too.
It is about giving internships out on fair criteria not just on who you know or being able to afford to work unpaid.
It us about ensuring processes are clear and transparent, not a load of hoops that only insiders know about.

twistyizzy · 18/09/2025 08:51

scandinavianyellow · 18/09/2025 08:46

Also surely there will be genetic advantage too

Yes quite obviously there is.

scandinavianyellow · 18/09/2025 08:46

Also surely there will be genetic advantage too

BerryTwister · 18/09/2025 07:56

Thefirstdelicious · 16/09/2025 14:05

lot of Universities do include parental education in their criteria for making contextual offers

source @AgeingDoc ?

I seem to recall DS having to tick a box on his UCAS form about parental education.

thirdistheonewiththehairychest · 18/09/2025 07:54

I have to say I struggle with the whole idea of 'levelling the playing field'. What's wrong with some people being better at some things than others, whether through genetics or effort? Why does everyone need to be the same?

twistyizzy · 18/09/2025 07:49

Hardhaton1 · 18/09/2025 07:34

Unique student identifierOne important policy initiative of the National School Reform Agreement is the introduction of a ‘unique student identifier’ (USI) to track individual student performance over time. This will enable data on educational outcomes to be more easily linked with other data held by state and federal governments, and provide researchers with a clearer picture of how educational outcomes shapes social, economic and health outcomes later life.
However, the Productivity Commission report notes the rollout of this initiative is well behind schedule.
The USI offers more than mere standardisation. Once in place, researchers will also be better able to evaluate the impact of education policy interventions by conducting randomised control trials, similar to those used by in medicine to assess the efficacy of new drugs and treatments. Such trials are crucial for assessing whether a particular education policy reform, for instance a new teaching method, has a causal impact on learning outcomes.

Part of the data collected here is parents current salary range and educational highest level of attainment.

It’s been delayed probably by Covid but the Data should be amazing when they’ve got a clean full set to track through a child from birth to death.
And everything that it’s needed in way of support and how that correlates with its parents background.
Obviously, we don’t have this in the UK, but we should

No we bloody don't want that!
I don't want my data being used and my child excluded from things because of my/DHs education level. It all sounds worthwhile until you start allocating university and employment opportunities by parent occupation/postcode etc. It will just be another way of politicising education which is the last thing we need.
We already have a government obsessed with identity politics and they are filtering that down into education policy.

Returnlamp · 18/09/2025 07:48

Hardhaton1 · 17/09/2025 19:03

They ask !
Lots of employers do too btw

Show quote history

So back to my question

“they ask”

how? Where?

LoveMySushi · 18/09/2025 07:47

we live in germany and my kids speak perfect english because of their dad.. should we not have taught them the language so that its fair in school when they are taught in class?
This is just one of the things where life is unfair 🤷🏻‍♀️
Everyone is born with some advantages and disadvantages. There is no way to make it all even for everyone.

Returnlamp · 18/09/2025 07:47

Hardhaton1 · 18/09/2025 07:37

But that wasn’t what we were talking about, so I’m delighted to hear your son managed to get through despite your input.

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That is exactly what we were talking about

Returnlamp · 18/09/2025 07:46

Ddakji · 18/09/2025 07:39

Why are you being so rude to other posters?

Edited

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Odd isn’t it

i wonder how posters like this fare in real life

Ddakji · 18/09/2025 07:39

Hardhaton1 · 18/09/2025 07:36

Oh, I see you can’t read. Sorry you should’ve mentioned that people would’ve dumbed it down a little bit for you.
Never mind

Show quote history

Why are you being so rude to other posters?

clary · 18/09/2025 07:37

I am suggesting to my daughter's school we hire tutors for subjects where they aren't strong in and the school is not wishing to discuss it perhaps because they don't want to be seen endorsing private parallel education.

I agree with others – what are you asking the school? And why? If you want to employ a tutor for your DD, that's up to you.

Hardhaton1 · 18/09/2025 07:37

Returnlamp · 18/09/2025 07:36

Yep.,, 2023, for my son

no question regarding my education.

Show quote history

But that wasn’t what we were talking about, so I’m delighted to hear your son managed to get through despite your input.

Returnlamp · 18/09/2025 07:37

Hardhaton1 · 18/09/2025 07:36

Oh, I see you can’t read. Sorry you should’ve mentioned that people would’ve dumbed it down a little bit for you.
Never mind

Show quote history

Oh dear 😆

Hardhaton1 · 18/09/2025 07:36

Returnlamp · 18/09/2025 07:34

Huh?

Show quote history

Oh, I see you can’t read. Sorry you should’ve mentioned that people would’ve dumbed it down a little bit for you.
Never mind