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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Impact of parental education and support on pupil performance

87 replies

mids2019 · 16/09/2025 12:53

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?

OP posts:

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.

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 13:01

TeenToTwenties · 18/09/2025 12:58

That isn't what levelling the playing field is 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.

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

Show quote history

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.

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

Fruitlips · 18/09/2025 18:23

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

BreakingBroken · 18/09/2025 18:38

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

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.

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:

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

Fruitlips · 19/09/2025 18:44

mids2019 · 19/09/2025 18:33

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 😆

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

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