The status attainment literature suggests that the educational success of parents determines the educational success of their children (Blau and Duncan, 1967). However, the mechanisms by which families determine a child’s education are imperfectly understood. This article tests Lareau’s (2003) parental typology to identify the association between parenting strategies and educational outcomes achieved using the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) 2004–2006. The findings suggest that class is not a convincing predictor for parenting style, but that use of concerted cultivation parenting strategies does improve the young person’s chances of achieving five GCSEs grade A*–C. These parenting strategies are also a positive predictor of how much a young person enjoys school, a teacher’s perception of their progress in school, their own perceptions of progress in school, their likelihood to apply to university, and whether they believe they will be accepted if they apply.
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