Desk job: Create a homework haven for schoolchildren 

Whatever their study style, there’s a design solution to help youngsters settle into that inevitable homework

A double-sided desk offers partition with eye-to-eye companionship for young siblings. Would this work for teenagers? A linear arrangement would be less contentious. Vox Spot desk in Acacia €375, cuckooland.com.

The dreaded nag: “Do your homework” will be ringing out on a 24-hour loop from September. 

The environment you deliver to settle your younger child or teen into the slog of study can make a big difference to their acceptance, enthusiasm, attention to detail, and ultimately (as assessment, results and exams get increasingly serious), those crucial retention levels. A reluctance to commit to the ritual of homework may be down, in part, to where they are being forced to perform.