Channel 4 documents life beyond the school gate

18 February 2011

Mark Raphael, Commissioning Editor, Documentaries

Secondary school - one of the most formative times in all our lives, but how much do we really know about what happens behind the school gate? Every parent speculates but for the first time Channel 4 will provide a candid insight into schooling in the 21st Century - capturing everything about school life as a group of teenagers prepare for their GCSEs.

With unprecedented access in a British school, from the classrooms to the lunch hall; from the headmaster's office to detention, Classmates (working title) follows a group of final year students through the most important year in their education.

Leaving school without qualifications seriously impacts on career opportunities and earning potential. But to anyone who remembers being a teenager, or is the parent of one now, GCSEs are only a one of number of things on students' minds.  Now, Channel 4 goes back to school to see what life is really like for today's teenagers - and the teachers, determined to get them the results they need. 

For seven weeks of the Autumn term sixty-two cameras were placed throughout the school, focussing on a number of Year 11 students.  This ambitious series examines all aspects of teenage life from school work and exam pressure, to fitting in and growing up - at a time when the next generation of school leavers face one of the most uncertain futures in decades. 

Channel 4 Documentaries Commissioning Editor Mark Raphael has commissioned an 8 x 60 series, which follows a group of 15-16 year old Year 11s.

Mark Raphael said: "Capturing the true workings of a secondary school, and the dynamics between pupils and teachers, will provide our audience with a new level of understanding to one of the most contentious public institutions. Using fixed cameras throughout the school is an unobtrusive method of capturing student life with minimal disruption to their daily lives."

Series Director David Clews said: "We were given incredible access and it was a privilege to film school life as it really is.  The fixed rig produced some revelatory moments.  It was fascinating to see what's different about teenagers today, and at times the struggle the teachers face helping students get the best grades they can." 

In addition to the filming in the school, the series follows students in their free time and at home, to give background to their lives in the classroom, as well as interviews with parents and teachers.

Classmates (w/t) is due for transmission in September 2011.Classmates is produced by TwoFour, executive produced by Andrew Mackenzie and Peter Moore, series directed by David Clews and series produced by Beejal-Maya Patel.