Success DOES depend on your parents' intelligence: Exam results are influenced by genes, not teaching

An American scientist at Kings College London found inherited intelligence could account for nearly 60 per cent of a teenager's GCSE results

The school environment, quality of teaching and home environment has less of an effect on students' exam results



Professor Robert Plomin thinks genetic scanning could eventually be used to identity particularly gifted children or those with academic weaknesses

Some pupils are naturally brighter than others, a study of twins suggests.

The research shows inherited intelligence accounts for almost two thirds of marks in GCSEs, while the amount of work done in class accounts for the rest.

This suggests raising the standard of teaching in schools may have a limited impact on children’s academic achievement when compared with the genes they are born with. Or, put more simply, nature trumps nurture.

Kings College London research found inherited intelligence could account for nearly 60 per cent of a teenager's GCSE results, while quality of teaching only influences results by a third. The study was based upon long-term analysis of twins who sat the standard school exams at the age of 16

Professor Robert Plomin, who based the study on the exam results of thousands of children, said genetics had been overlooked because of concerns about ‘labelling’ children.

But he said his findings could spell the end of the generalised approach to schooling in favour of a system tailored to individual ability.

Genetic scanning could flag up children’s strengths and weaknesses early on in their school career, enabling teachers to identify how best to help them. ‘Kids label each other already. They know who’s sporty, who’s bright,’ he told The Spectator.

‘If we can read a kid’s genome we can predict and prevent disease. If we can read their DNA, we can tailor the teaching to help a kid with learning difficulties. Surely it’s worse to just sit in a classroom and sink, unable to read because no one has identified that you might have trouble.’

Professor Plomin, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, runs the Twins Early Development Study, which follows all twins born in England and Wales from 1994 to 1996.

Analysis of the GCSE results of more than 11,100 of them suggested genetic background had a ‘substantial’ impact on their results. In science it accounted for 58 per cent of scores, in maths for 55 per cent and English 52 per cent.

IQ scores have been linked with genes before and Professor Plomin said the advantage increased with age. ‘Little genetic differences become bigger and bigger as you go through life,’ he said. ‘Bright kids read more, they hang out with kids who read more.’

Professor Plomin thinks genetic scanning could eventually be used to identity particularly gifted children or those with academic weaknesses. By reading a child's genome (pictured), adults can predict and therefore influence a child's academic progression, as well as prevent disease

Prof Plomin believes education professionals have been too fast to dismiss the influence of genetics and intelligence on children's academic potential. But he thinks his research can be used in a positive way to develop education tailored to a child's unique needs, that will translate into better exam results

Professor Plomin, an American geneticist, has been asked to present his findings to ministers and officials at the Department for Education.

A DfE insider said: ‘As we learn more from science, a decentralised school system with great teachers providing personalised learning will be even more important.’

‘Twin tests’ usually involve comparisons between identical and non-identical twins – or those brought up apart in different environments.

n GIRLS who walk to school do better in class, according to research.

A study found that children who go by foot outperform peers who travel by bus or car. The difference is put down to exercise, with girls gaining more from the effort of walking.

Exercise has been shown to help the brain grow and boost memory.