Irena Barker

Pupil mental health: what works in schools - and what doesn't

Schools are under huge pressure to support young people with mental health challenges, but some of the techniques available could be ineffective - or make things worse, argues Dr Lucy Foulkes

Could a four-day week work in schools?

As more schools in the US move to four-day weeks in a bid to save money and boost recruitment and retention, Irena Barker looks at how the model is working - and whether it could make sense in the UK

Should food-based resources be banned in EYFS and primary?

"Don't play with your food." It's a phrase we all remember from our own childhoods, bringing back memories of building mashed potato mountains to hide the cabbage we didn't want to eat. But as the recession bites and food bank use booms, the phrase has recently taken on new significance, as we all learn that food is a more precious resource than ever.

The impact of poverty on pupils' brains

Research is beginning to unpick the impact of poverty on the development of a child's brain and although there are no clear answers yet, Irena Barker finds that there is plenty for teachers - and policymakers - to ponder

The power of remembering pupils' names

Putting names to the sea of faces sitting in front of you at the start of the new term can be tricky but research suggests that the sooner you master them, the sooner your students will begin to learn, finds Irena Barker

Why are safeguarding referrals resulting in 'no action'?

"You go home over the weekend, and you think about all these things, and you feel sick to the stomach." Many school leaders and teachers will recognise education leader Michael Merrick's description of the churning anxiety caused by knowing a pupil in your care could be in an unsafe, neglectful or dangerous situation outside of the school gates.

Could paying students boost their GCSE grades?

Much research has been carried out into whether offering cash and other incentives makes teachers more effective, and the results have been mixed. But what about pupils? Could offering them rewards if they work harder at school actually raise their GCSE grades?

Would more teacher freedom keep you in the job?

Teenagers need it, toddlers love it and many workers feel stifled if they don't get enough of it. Autonomy, loosely defined as the freedom to direct one's own course, is generally regarded as a good thing, both in life and in the workplace.

The psychological impact of obesity on children

Research suggests that children who are obese are more likely to suffer mental health problems than other children - and, among several damaging knock-on effects, it's harming their attainment at school, finds Irena Barker

'How can schools help with childhood obesity? By getting every child to sit down with their...

Schools shouldn't waste curriculum time on explicit 'healthy eating' lessons which only reinforce the sort of guilt and fear around eating we are trying to steer kids away from, says one parent-writer

Tes focus on...male teachers in primary schools

Male primary teacher stereotypes, debunked

Knife crime: using the power of drill music to tackle gang culture

Like the rap duo Krept and Konan, Jinx Prowse, who runs the Music Fusion youth project in Hampshire, believes a police clampdown on drill music is not the answer to knife crime. "Gangs and their culture exist first. This then informs the music.

Can citizen patrol groups make London's streets safer?

In an effort to stamp out knife crime, one London borough is using young people to police neighbourhoods. Wary of the vigilante label, Irena Barker asks if these groups are safe and effective?

How to tackle maths anxiety in your class

The vague churning in the bowels, the horror of impending humiliation, the strong desire to sink into a hole in the floor. These are all familiar sensations for those who suffer from maths anxiety. And, oddly, breaking out in a cold sweat over algebra or arithmetic is regarded as culturally normal - in Britain at least.

Social media has made charity shops more attractive - and addicative

John Poyton: 'Youth violence should be seen as a health issue'

The chief executive of Redthread youth work charity says A&Es are the best places to reach young, at-risk victims of knife crime

Tes focus on...Uncertainty in schools

Unsettling feelings can trigger a fight-or-flight stress response that can impact on teaching and learning, researchers warn. Irena Barker ponders what schools can do to make pupils and staff feel more secure in these unpredictable times

Photographs of black teenagers that stare prejudice in the face | Irena Barker

In terms of challenging stereotypes and representations of black boys this was so powerful for me ... because it's not an image that you're used to ever seeing, and you question why it has such an impact on you," says Kay Rufai.

The youth bus giving teenagers a path out of crime | Irena Barker

A mobile youth club is providing a safe space for young people to socialise in areas where violent crime is a problem

Can we trust the results of high-stakes tests?

When teachers and schools are under intense pressure to get results, how can we know if a jump in attainment represents a real leap in learning? Daniel Koretz warns Irena Barker that the more we tie assessments to accountability, the less reliable they become

French teachers are taking inspiration from the 'gilets jaunes'

In protest against their workload and conditions, French teachers are taking a stand - by giving every student full marks

Excluded pupils 'thrown off school conveyor belt'

Interviews about school exclusions

Grammar schools opt to give priority to poor children

More than half of grammar schools are set to fundamentally reform their admissions by giving preference to children from poor homes. Thirty grammar schools have already agreed to give preference to bright children eligible for free school meals and another 58 schools are seriously considering the move, the Grammar Schools Heads Association (GSHA) told TES.

Exclusive: heads predict surge of private schools 'seeking switch to the state sector'

Around 20 per cent of private schools in the North might apply for state funding if selection were allowed, according to one head

Chinese investors poised to buy British private schools

Interest in the UK independent market is booming in Asia

Exclusive: Eton College funds research into why young people take psychoactive 'legal highs'

Eton College is funding research into what motivates young people to take so-called "legal highs", with the aim of improving its drug education strategies, TES can reveal. The school's lower master (deputy head) Dr Bob Stephenson, said Eton was sponsoring the study because he believed the drugs - legally referred to as "new psychoactive substances" - were set to become "a major social problem" affecting universities and schools in the coming years.

Stop 'indulging in toffism', says private school head

Critics of private schools should stop "indulging in toffism" and accept the "positive contribution" the independent sector can make to education, a leading head will say today. Chris King, head of independent school Leicester Grammar, will use his speech to the annual gathering of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) to attack those who blame private schools for the problems faced by the state sector.

The head of Eton's new free school grew up in a house 'with an outside toilet and a tin bath'

Why every 21st-century classroom should have a manual typewriter

An old-fashioned typewriter can inspire modern-day kids to express themselves and teaches the charm of imperfection

Why is choosing a school just so confusing? | Tes News

Parents are faced with unpicking bizarre data when it comes to making a school choice, writes Irena Barker

'The baseline test won't work - just look at my kids'

Comment for TES

'The baseline test won't work - just look at my kids'

Instead of replacing KS1 Sats with a baseline assessment, let's scrap tests altogether for pupils so young, says one parent

I don't have time to design an elaborate costume for my child. I have to work

(Under nom de plume)

What today’s teens can learn from Donald Trump

Teachers in transition

Coming out as transgender is daunting for teachers, and can have tragic results. We look at what schools can do to help

Do classroom renovations boost pupils' learning?

The Prince of Wales School, a primary in Dorchester, Dorset, is not housed in an enormous warehouse. Neither does it have a huge car park outside. And there is definitely no deli counter. But, according to headteacher Gary Spracklen, the school's recent classroom renovations, embarked upon to boost learning, were partly inspired by supermarket giant Tesco.

10 stress-free ways to get kids helping around the house - Mas & Pas

139 views Irena Barker Your little ones are too busy having fun to notice the mess. You're tired out from cleaning and tidying, but it's more than possible to get kids helping around the house, and enjoying it. Underpants on the light fittings, smelly socks under the sofa cushions, splashes of wee on the toilet seat.

Steamy secrets of my grandparents' private letters

After Chris and Bessie's deaths, Irena Barker's family opened a box of 500 love letters written while the second world war kept them apart. The couple held little back as they expressed their longing

Obsessed with Oxbridge?

Is the preoccupation with the dreaming spires damaging social mobility?

You know you're married to a teacher when...

A look at the experiences of teachers' spouses

Waiting for a sea change

How do we solve educational underachievement in Britain's seaside towns?

The French connection

In these risk-averse times the traditional school foreign exchange trip is under threat

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Interview with Andrew Smyth, star of Baking Impossible

'Bakineer' Andrew Smyth, star of Netflix's 'Baking Impossible' show

Interview with dancer Eric Underwood - Planning Learning Spaces

Planning Learning Spaces - Spring 2022 - Arts Special (Gratnells)

Inside the school that Dr. Dre built

Irena Barker explores the LA school mixing creativity, technology and business

Interview with architect Danish Kurani -Planning Learning Spaces

From Planning Learning Spaces magazine - Autumn 2020 (Gratnells)

Interview with designers Avron and Jolene Levin - Planning Learning Spaces

Planning Learning Spaces magazine - Autumn 2021 - Seating Special (Gratnells)

Poetry pamphlets