Drawing on administrative data covering the entire state schoolpopulation in England, researchers found a much smaller proportion ofchildren born in August, from Key stage 1 through to Key stage 5,reached their expected level than children born in September.
In Key Stage 1, 80.1 per cent of girls born in September reached theirexpected level, compared with 53 per cent of those born in August. Thefigures for boys were 70.5 per cent and 47.1 per cent respectively.
The research showed that while the gap in attainment decreased overtime, it still persisted when pupils sat their GCSEs. Of girls born inSeptember, 60.7 per cent got five A-C grades, while 55.2 per cent ofthose born in August got the grades. The boys' figures were 50.3 percent and 44.2 per cent.
The IFS report said, 'One simple solution would be to normalise testresults', adjusting them to take account of a child's age and perhaps tospecify an age, rather than a school year, when a pupil should reach acertain level.
Other options included greater flexibility in the school starting ageand free nursery education offered from the beginning of the academicyear in which a child turns three.
Further information: 'When you are born matters: the impact of date ofbirth on child cognitive outcomes in England' is at www.ifs.org.uk.
