Educating Cardiff

Episode 1 - Tuesday 25 August, 9pm, Channel 4

Educating is back, and this time we are in Wales at Willows High School in Cardiff. Educating Cardiff captures every detail of life at Willows and to kick the series off we are introduced to Head Teacher Joy Ballard, her stellar team of staff and some dynamic kids. From Year 7 to Year 11, newly qualified teachers to old-hands, this series shows what it’s like to learn and teach in the Welsh capital.

Head Teacher Joy Ballard is on a mission – when she came to the school four years ago it was one of the worst performing schools in Cardiff, and she is determined that all pupils and staff will be proud to be a part of Willows. Under her leadership the school has made a huge turnaround and it is definitely on the up. One of the key elements Joy has brought to the school is a house system, with four houses competing against each other and giving the children a sense of home and pride.

Mr Hennessy is Head of House for Denbigh, overseeing 120 students at the school and ensuring that they are on the right track. He has taught Maths at Willows for the past six years, and is undoubtedly the teacher who strikes the most fear in the heart of pupils. As Mr Hennessy knows, teaching isn’t always plain sailing, especially when it comes to Year 11 girls. Leah, a Year 11 pupil in Denbigh, has one of the worst attendance records in school. And it’s Mr Hennessy’s job to ensure that they are there on time, even if that means ringing Leah every morning from the school phone to guarantee she is on route.

Leah is an aspiring actress hoping to study drama at college, and finds that it is the perfect opportunity to put on an act and be someone else even if it is just for an hour. She is nearing the end of her school education and if she passes her GCSEs will be the highest achieving member of her family. But she has a tough exterior, and doesn’t like asking for help even when she knows that she needs it to help her through her fear of failing. Will Mr Hennessy manage to crack her tough persona, or will his phone calls and encouragement fall by the wayside? 

Jess is one of the hardest workers in the school, and with a 100% attendance record. She goes to school to learn and is hugely focused on being successful, but often struggles to understand why the other pupils are silly in class. One element of school that is a mystery to her is the social aspect – what does it mean to be popular? And how do the other pupils become popular? Mrs Ballard has an inspired idea to start a new school newspaper with Jess at the helm; will this teach her valuable skills in interacting with her peers? And could younger pupil Benjy teach her a thing or two about feigning confidence?

It doesn’t matter which end of the social spectrum you come from being a teenage girl is hard, whether it is exam fears and worries that you can’t do the work, or not understanding the social structure. It’s up to the staff at Willows to ensure that the girls stay on track and hope that they can put aside their self-doubt ahead of leaving school at the end of the academic year.