Northern parents should learn from their pushier southern counterparts to help their children get the best grades, the children's tsar has said.
Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield, a mother who lives in Leeds, said the demanding parents of London and the South East have helped spur their children on.
A report by the public body has found there was little difference between the academic achievements of primary school children either side of the divide, according to The Times.
But a gap reportedly opens up during secondary school with it becoming more pronounced by 16.
Ms Longfield told the newspaper: "As northern parents, we need to be aware of these inconsistencies and variations in secondary schools and push hard for our schools to show how they are improving and helping our children to achieve.
"One of the real drivers of improvements of schools in London has been the demand for good school results from parents and children. There is much we northern parents can learn about this parent power."