FORMER teacher Stephanie Peacock may now represent the people of Hoyland in Parliament as a career - but that didn't stop her stepping back into the classroom for a lesson with Kirk Balk Academy pupils.

The Barnsley East MP has her constituency office just across the road from the school in West Street and visited to take a lesson as part of an initiative called the Big Class Challenge.

That has been organised by a charity called TeachFirst, which aims to encourage volunteers from different sectors of society into schools to teach pupils.

Ms Peacock is both a former teacher and TeachFirst ambassador so was a natural choice for Kirk Balk, taking a one-off lesson with pupils.

She spoke on a range of topics, including aspiration and the importance of students aiming high with their ambitions, then took questions.

She said: "It was great to be back in the classroom as part of TeachFirst’s Big Class Challenge.

“The Challenge is a wonderful initiative that encourages volunteers with a wide range of experiences and skills to get into schools and teach one-off lessons to students.

“As a former teacher and TeachFirst ambassador, it was a pleasure to teach the students at Kirk Balk Academy and support this initiative.”