Channel 4 commissions Himalaya High (w/t) from Naked Entertainment

Statistics show that white working class boys are falling behind their classmates in GCSE attainment, but where they are taught alongside peers in multi-cultural classrooms they perform better. Could this be down to a broader world view or a differing cultural approach to education and ambition? To test this theory Channel 4 has commissioned Himalaya High (w/t) from Naked Entertainment.

This 3x60’ series, made by Naked Entertainment, will follow a group of five British boys who have all struggled academically and failed GCSEs as they spend five months immersed in life at The Doon School, an Indian boarding school a world away from their usual classroom environment, in the hope of transforming their academic potential.

Will the ambition of their new peers encourage them to do better? Will being submerged in an all-Indian school give them a broader horizon and help them improve their attitude to learning, their marks and their future prospects?

Himalaya High (w/t) was commissioned for Channel 4 by Kelly Webb-Lamb, Head of Factual Entertainment and Factual Entertainment commissioning editor Sarah Lazenby. Naked Entertainment’s Simon Andreae and Tom O’Brien serve as Executive Producers on the series.

Sarah Lazenby said: “Evidence suggests that where white working class boys are taught alongside peers with different ethnic backgrounds they perform better. We’re supersizing this notion in the hope that a summer of education in India can turn some teenagers’ academic lives around and give them a better start in adult life.”

Tom O’Brien added: “The Doon School has a rare kind of magic. The Himalayan backdrop, a fascinating school history, all tied together by a genuine passion and track-record for transforming its pupils’ lives. We can’t wait to start filming.”