The wait is over: here's the annual #BartonBookshelf, my list of 5 fiction and 5 non-fiction texts for your summer reading. The description of the choices is on @linkedin.com: Fiction: www.linkedin.com/posts/geoff-... Non-fiction: www.linkedin.com/posts/geoff-... (Imagery by Pippa Day)

BARTON BOOKSHELF: Summer 2026 NON-FICTION:   With predictable predictability, each summer I choose five fiction and five non-fiction books that I have enjoyed over the past few months, and which I… | ...

BARTON BOOKSHELF: Summer 2026 NON-FICTION:   With predictable predictability, each summer I choose five fiction and five non-fiction books that I have enjoyed over the past few months, and which I hop...

linkedin.com

In praise of English Literature (as we are likely to have a new PM who read the subject at university): Margaret Atwood via @theknowledgenews.bsky.social

This is wonderful …

Michael Warburton@michaelwarburton.bsky.social · 3mo ago

JIM HENSON wrote this letter to his Children to be opened after his death. Jim left us 36yrs ago today. He was 53.

Brilliant to be reminded of undiluted human ingenuity and the power of education at last night’s production of #TheBoyWhoHarnessedTheWind - the true story of the inspiring #WilliamKamkwamba. At Soho Place theatre, London, it’s the perfect show for young people, full of music, movement & puppetry

👏👏👏

Matthew Kirschenbaum@mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Charlottesville used bookstore’s got game

“Parkruns demonstrate something about belonging, habit and commitment that theatre often struggles to match" : terrific and challenging rallying-cry from the executive team of the Royal Shakespeare Company via @thestage.co.uk: www.thestage.co.uk/news/rsc-bos...

RSC bosses: Theatre should learn from parkrun to build audiences

Royal Shakespeare Company bosses have warned that the UK theatre is facing a ‘slow erosion of habit’ when it comes to audiences

thestage.co.uk

‘As Yip Harburg, lyricist of The Wizard of Oz, put it: “Words make you think thoughts, music makes you feel a feeling, but a song makes you feel a thought.” Choose songs. Choose joy. Choose musicals.’ @theguardian.com

The Guardian view on new musicals: sex, drugs and song ‘n’ dance | Editorial

Editorial: Adaptations of hit novels like One Day and Trainspotting help keep the genre in tune with the times

theguardian.com

Thought for the day (from our walk in Bildeston, #Suffolk, today:

Just when we thought the news couldn't get much worse ... (via @apiln.bsky.social)

“If only our politicians would get off Twitter and pick up a novel …”: entertaining piece by @tommctague.bsky.social @newstatesman1913.bsky.social: www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

How to imagine new futures

Where are the Benjamin Disraelis and Michael Foots of today?

newstatesman.com

👏👏👏

Angry People in Local Newspapers@apiln.bsky.social · 5mo ago

How does he sleep at night?

English teachers in particular - you’ll love this: ‘How far back in time can you understand English? An experiment in language change’: www.deadlanguagesociety.com/p/how-far-ba...

How far back in time can you understand English?

An experiment in language change

deadlanguagesociety.com

“A new play based on fantasy series Game of Thrones is set to open in Stratford-upon-Avon this summer, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has announced …” www.bbc.com/news/article...

Game of Thrones: Prequel play The Mad King to open in Stratford-Upon-Avon this summer

The stage prequel will be set 10 years before the events of the original books and TV series.

bbc.com

Delighted to see Stephen (aka Lord) Parkinson making the case for the arts in state schools. And am also proud that I taught him when he was a student in Years 9-11 at our rural comprehensive - Thurston Community College, Suffolk:

The Sutton Trust@suttontrust.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🗣️ "BAFTA nominated actors are still five times more likely to have attended a fee paying school than the population as a whole." Great to see Lord Parkinson directly cite our research on the lack of class diversity in creative professions in a debate in the House of Lords ⬇️

We went to see ‘Hamnet’ this week and loved the directing, the acting, the storytelling. However … just how accurate is the film? Here’s the fascinating verdict of eminent Shakespearean scholar @profbate.bsky.social @thetimes.com: [£] www.thetimes.com/culture/film...

How accurate is Hamnet? The Shakespeare scholar’s verdict

The award-winning film starring Jessie Buckley has left many viewers in tears, but this expert was upset for other reasons

thetimes.com

SecEd Podcast: Our new episode in partnership with @the-rsc.bsky.social offers practical ideas & #teaching techniques for engaging students in the work of William #Shakespeare. Some amazing tips from @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social Jacqui O'Hanlon & Emma Aubrey, head of Dowdales School buff.ly/EgEDVOy

👏👏👏

Liam SEND HT@wsu-albion.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Nothing beats the person who crossed out “distinguished” and added “last” to the Hove signs that went up on the borders between Brighton and Hove

The joy of annotated road signs (via @theguardian.com letters page) …

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2026 … via this GeoffyB New Year megamix: www.mixcloud.com/GeoffyB/gb-n... #Cheesy

GB-New-Year-2026-mix

An upbeat mix to kick-start 2026 ...

mixcloud.com

Da-dah .... Roll of drums ... Here's the Christmas 2025 Barton Bookshelf: 10 books that have entertained, disturbed, provoked or transported me in recent months - 5 fiction / 5 non-fiction. Full notes on my LinkedIn page. Enjoy!

An illuminating report on #oracy by @literacy-trust.bsky.social …

Tes magazine@tesmagazine.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Exclusive: Oracy opportunities ‘decline sharply’ in early secondary, at the same time as students’ confidence with related skills is reducing, finds National Literacy Trust report

🚨NEW PODCAST🚨 Everyone agrees the SEND system is broken, but how do you fix it? @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social and @eleanorrrlouise.bsky.social joined me to talk through the analysis and proposals in their new @ippr.org report on reforming SEND. Listen here: insideyoured.com

‘Many years ago, I took my parents to see The Merchant of Venice. Portia was halfway through her “Quality of mercy” speech when my father decided to join in. Shakespeare was in his bloodstream …’: my @tesmagazine.bsky.social piece celebrating the RSC’s new curriculum: www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

Why Shakespeare and oracy go hand in hand

The curriculum and assessment review cements Shakespeare’s place in classrooms, but teaching must focus on bringing his words to life, writes Geoff Barton

tes.com

Great to see the importance of Oracy being so clearly recognised in the CAR! Congratulations to @voice21oracy.bsky.social @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social and many others & thank you for all your hard work!

English and Media Centre@engmediacentre.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Like @voice21oracy.bsky.social, we're delighted to see prominence given to oracy in the recently published Curriculum and Assessment Review. Here's their response voice21.org/voice-21-res...

"We're not saying that we have an education system that isn't working for all young people, it's just not working for enough young people". 📻 @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social on @bbc5live.bsky.social 👇

Just finished Ian McEwan’s latest. At first I wasn’t sure about it. I liked the dystopian stuff, but didn’t care about the people, the narrative. Then part 2 kicks in and it all coheres - a haunting exploration of memory, storytelling, the intersection of our past & present. Superb #BartonBookshelf

A handy summary via @tesmagazine.bsky.social of what we say about improving inclusion in today's @ippr.org report: www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Statutory SEND support should not need diagnosis, say experts

Taskforce urges the government to create a new layer of statutory SEND support in mainstream schools - but to keep existing EHCPs temporarily

tes.com

🎧 “Please don’t ignore us" - Cath Kitchen, chair of the National Association of Hospital Education spotlights why children with medical needs must be included in the SEND conversation. New episode of Talking Inclusion... with @RealGeoffBarton.bsky.social is live! podcasts.apple.com/ug/podcast/t...

Talking Inclusion… With Geoff Barton

Education Podcast · A podcast from the IPPR Inclusion Taskforce What does truly inclusive education look like, and how can we make it better? Hosted by Geoff Barton, former general secretary of the…

podcasts.apple.com

Those Covid months remembered ...

John Roberts@johngroberts.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Shortly after this conference "things started to shift more dramatically" Sir Gavin adds. You can read former ASCL general secretary @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social's recollection of this turn of events here www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

"This volume lets us see Heaney’s work, whose ripples we are still learning to navigate, for the colossal achievement it is, and reminds us that Heaney is not only a keeper but an enricher of the word-hoard": the definitive new Heaney poetry collection: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

The Poems of Seamus Heaney review – collected works reveal his colossal achievement

The complete works, including previously unpublished poems and expert notes, are brought together in one volume for the first time

theguardian.com