WHETHER children will enjoy academic success can be now predicted at birth, a new study by York researchers has suggested.

The University of York study found that parents’ socioeconomic status and children’s inherited DNA differences are powerful predictors of educational achievement.

However, it suggested that having the genes for school success was not as beneficial as having parents who were highly educated and wealthy.

A spokesperson said that only 47 per cent of children in the study sample with a high genetic propensity for education but a poorer background made it to university, compared with 62 per cent with a low genetic propensity but parents that are more affluent.

The researchers from the Department of Education found that children with a high genetic propensity for education who were also from wealthy and well-educated family backgrounds had the greatest advantage, with 77 per cent going to university, while only 21 per cent of children from families with low socioeconomic status and low genetic propensity carried on into higher education.

The findings may help to identify children most at risk of poor educational outcome, they said.