• Two thirds of parents bribe their kids to do well in their exams
• Most popular reward is cash in hand
• One in six parents will treat star pupils to a new car

As millions of British teenagers wait with baited breath for their A level and GCSE results, research from VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals over two thirds (67 per cent) of parents have incentivised their kids to succeed in their exams this year.
 
The survey of 1000 parents revealed almost a quarter (22 per cent) of parents have promised their offspring a gift in a bid to motivate them, while one in ten (10 per cent) believe their children wouldn’t have tried as hard if they didn’t have an incentive. Over a third (33 per cent) dangle cold-hard cash in front of their children to encourage them to do well at school, with brain-boxes who achieve an A* bagging an average of £35.37 per subject and a C grade landing them the still princely sum of £17.34. 
 
Of parents polled, the average financial incentive for a grade is as follows:

Interestingly, mums believe it is more appropriate to sweeten the deal than dads, with nearly three quarters (70 per cent) lavishing their child with gifts to praise them for good exam results. Dads, while less likely to offer a reward, are more extravagant when they do dish out gifts, with seven per cent buying their child a new car or 15 per cent booking a holiday as a reward. 

 
Other gifts bestowed on successful teenagers include an expensive dinner with friends (14 per cent) or an all expenses paid shopping trip (11 per cent). Overall one in twenty parents (6 per cent) plan to purchase a new car to reward their clever little darlings. 
 
There are still some parents who don’t think bribing their kids to do well at school is the right approach. Nearly one in five (18 per cent) want them to strive for success without the promise of presents and one in ten (10 per cent) say they don’t believe in monetising their child’s education. 
 
Lucky learners living in Wolverhampton receive the biggest cash rewards for good grades, earning an average of £67.77 for an A* - almost £700 for a 10 A* streak.
 
Anita Naik, consumer editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk commented: “Depending on how your child performs at school, offering them an incentive to work hard can often really help them focus on achieving their goal - particularly in the final furlong of big exams such as GCSEs and A Levels.
 
“Not all parents can afford to splash the cash when it comes to rewards so when you negotiate rewards with your kids think about savvy ways to look generous and still save.  Perhaps promise a meal for your child and a couple of friends and when the time comes and book a restaurant where you can use a discount voucher - that way they get a special evening to celebrate, without breaking the bank.”
 
Notes to editors:
Survey of 1000 UK parents who have either had children take GCSE’s or A Levels in the past 5 years, or have children taking them this summer was conducted by One Poll. Research was carried out between 15th and 22nd July 2013.