Birthdays might be more important than you might realise (Picture: Getty)
If you want your future children to be top of the class, planning their arrival at a certain time of the year might help them achieve scholarly success.
Of course, studying hard and learning new skills are both important, but a child’s birthday can play a role, too – according to new research.
Recent data collected Atom Learning shows that children born in November are most likely to excel academically at primary school, while July babies fall behind.
Test scores from 5,000 Year 6 pupils were analysed to highlight the relationship between a child’s birth month and their academic success – and results show that November babies come out on top.
Overall, results revealed autumn-born babies perform better academically than summer ones – who start school later too.
The findings also challenge the assumption that September-born children do the best in class.
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However, kids born in June proved an exception to this general rule – as they had the eighth highest attainment scores, beating both March and May babies.
Also, those with birthdays in January were likely to sit in the middle of the classroom rankings.
Experts say these findings should help parents become more aware of this disadvantage for kids born later in the year.
Anna Masterson, the chief learning officer at Atom Learning, said: ‘Children born later in the academic year inevitably have less time to grow their vocabulary, practise their social skills or simply take in the world before Reception starts.
‘This can affect their adjustment to primary school and put them slightly behind their classmates at first. It’s important that we recognise this potential disadvantage and address it.’
Birth month – average attainment score:
September – 3045
December – 3041
February – 3024
October – 3016
January – 3014
April – 2997
June – 2995
May – 2991
March – 2982
August – 2973
July – 2932
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Thought kids with September birthdays perform best in school? Think again.
