March 23, 2018

Genetics and GCSEs at selective vs. non-selective schools in the UK

A roundup accompanied this briefing.

Research has shown that students who attend selective schools, such as grammar or private schools, achieve better exam results and are more likely to go on to attend university and earn more than students at non-selective schools. These differences are often attributed to the influence of the selective school itself, and so there is high demand for places at these schools and pressure on students to pass the selection process.

However, previous studies have shown that genetics can have a significant impact on students’ chance of passing exams, and that the factors which schools use to select students are, to some extent, inherited from their parents.

Researchers from King’s College London have investigated whether school selection processes are associated with average genetic differences between selective and non-selective schools in the UK, and the relationship between school type, genetics and GCSE scores.

The researchers used data on over 4,000 students from England and Wales, and the results will be published in NPJ Science of Learning. 

Speakers:

Prof Robert Plomin, Professor of Behavioural Genetics, King’s College London

Emily Smith-Woolley, lead author & PhD student in Behavioural Genetics, King’s College London