Success is considered to be just reward where it has been achieved on the basis of merit and effort but a social injustice where it has been gained as a result of parental wealth and status. A society in which the success or failure of children with equal ability rests on the social and economic status of their parents is not a fair one. Not only is it unfair but it is a waste of the talents of those with potential from less advantaged backgrounds; damaging for the individuals, the economy and society.
In this paper we examine the evidence for a cohort of British children born in 1970 in terms of the relationship between family background, childhood cognitive skills and adult success in the labour market. We focus on two groups of children. The first group has relatively low levels of cognitive skills at age 5 and on this basis are predicted to be less likely to have highly successful careers. The second group have relatively high levels of cognitive skills at age 5 and are therefore more likely, on average, to have highly successful careers. We compare actual outcomes using a measure of high earnings and “top job” status and find social gradients in family background measured by family income and parental social class. We estimate statistical models to seek to identify which variables account for these gradients, factors that could allow advantaged families effectively to construct a ‘glass floor’ to ensure their children succeed irrespective of cognitive ability. In particular we consider the role of parental education, later childhood performance in reading and maths assessment, social and emotional skills in childhood (self-esteem, locus of control and behaviour), type of secondary school attended and whether or not individuals go on to attain a degree qualification.