Educating Essex (2011) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
No need to be wearing your coat Take it off.
Your school days Love them Love them I was wondering about black hole formation.
I lying in bed last night, thinking how 99% of everything is empty space.
Yeah, I don't like to dwell on that It's quite worrying.
Or loathe them We know diameter is circumference divided by pie We know diameter is circumference divided by pie What is pie? Where did it come from? You never forget them.
SCHOOL BELL All right Clear off, scumbags.
At this school in Essex, 160 students are in their final and most important year and their head teacher has grand ambitions.
'The mantra we use' is nobody leaves without enough qualifications to make the next step in their life.
But that's easier said than done.
Sir?.
Mm? I feel like crying for no reason.
Is that normal? What, at your age? Yeah.
They're teenagers They're teenagers Oh, my Go-od! Emotional In the nicest possible way, it's a girl.
Excitable It's the laughing! Always laughing! And a constant challenge.
You will never, ever come up against people who are as calm and patient as we are for the rest of your life.
How does he? You are such a bugger! (ALL) Ooh! This series reveals what life is really like in a modern secondary school.
Feeling bruised? For the teachers We are trying to deliver you a future.
I think we have a responsibility to give them the right chances.
And today's kids at the very start of adult life.
How you do this year will determine what path you take in life.
This programme contains some strong language # THE POGUES AND KIRSTY MCCOLL: Fai le In New Yo # It was Christmas Eve, babe # In the drunk tank # An old man said to me # "Won't see another one" # 'I love my job and everyday is different 'I love the interaction with the kids, I love the fact 'that you can see them making progress, 'there's nothing to match it, nothing to touch it.
(SINGS ALONG) # And dreamed about you # Happy Christmas # I love you, baby # Stephen Drew has been the school's deputy head for the last three years.
# When all our dreams come true # Dum, dum, dum, dum, du-um # # They got cars big as bars # They got rivers of gold # But the wind goes right through you It's not place for the old # # When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas eve # You promised me Broadway was waiting for me # KNOCKING ON DOOR Come in! MUSIC OFF MUSIC OFF YES? Mr King.
Mr King? Oh, I thought he was there.
Shows how much I know, too busy singing.
Oh, very kind.
Thank you.
Thank you, Adam.
MUSIC ED ON # Da, da, da, da, da # 'Steve is so integral to the school, 'to me being a head.
' I would be half as good without him, without a shadow of a doubt Hello, Jordon.
Hello, Lee.
Lee? I am disturbed by the sight of your footwear every single day when I see it 'He is who he is.
This little sergeant major character 'the kids see is exactly who he is.
He's one of those people 'who lives life quickly, talks quickly and walks really quickly.
' Is he here now? Oh, how does he? You are such a bugger! How? I was going to say how do you do this? I thought you had gone out the window or something.
As Mr Goddard's deputy, Mr Drew is in charge of discipline and enforcing the rules.
'Vic needs somebody who is going to deliver his vision.
' I think he needs somebody who is slightly you know, uber-focused and everything and very obsessive, who will just make the things he actually wants to happen a reality.
SCHOOL BELL May I have your phone? Put your hoodie up at the end of the day.
For Mr Drew, reality starts at 8.
40 every morning.
Excuse me, young person.
Come here.
Just in case, for some reason, you don't understand the very clear rules of the school you attend, we do not wear hoodies at this school.
So do not do so.
You may pick up your hoodie from me at the end of the school day.
You appear to have used your hoodie to cover up the fact that you have chosen not to do your top button up.
Come here! You may go, you may go.
You're inside the building, no need for you to wear that dead animal.
You may have your jacket from me at break and lunch and at the end of school each day, to avoid the on-going, constant conflict that exists over you wearing it in the corridors.
'As deputy head, my role is the gatekeeper.
'The person who is maintaining the standards' and the discipline.
The one who's having difficult conversations.
If you step towards him and try and physically attack him I will restrain you.
I don't give a shit! I don't give a shit! I know you don't Excuse me, excuse me, EXCUSE ME! WHAT?.
! I have told you not to speak.
He's a bigger bullshitter than me.
He's a bigger bullshitter than me.
I have told you not to speak.
'I always thought, Mr Drew,' cos everyone does, he is an evil overlord who will completely incinerate you if you annoy him.
Put your report back on my desk.
Thank you very much.
But when I actually had him as a history teacher, he's actually quite fun.
He's completely insane.
Mr Drew can be a legend, but when he wants to be, he can be really annoying.
I, you know, I give you credit for your ingenuity and your ability to get round systems.
Although you're one step ahead of me, bear in mind I'm always standing right behind you, catching up.
As I catch up, I deal with it I don't think you're a bad person.
But you've been caught Accept it Thank you for your time, I'm sure we'll speak again, but hopefully in more positive circumstances.
'At the end of the day, I'm the brick wall.
' I'm the brick wall, what you want to do is on the other side of the wall and I'm afraid to say I am the brick wall and you are not going past.
Are you ready? Yeah.
Yeah.
OK, I'll explain it to you.
No, because he didn't say I had a break detention.
Stop.
Stop Stop.
Stop No! He didn't say I had a detention, so why should I do it?.
I shouldn't have one.
I shouldn't have one.
Stop.
No, because I'm right Stop.
Stop Stop.
Stop Oh, my God! Stop.
Thank you.
Being sent to Mr Drew is often the last resort for pupil discipline.
You have ten minutes at lunch time for a cross on your report for your attitude during the lesson.
Since Charlotte started in her final year, she's become a regular visitor to the deputy head's office.
'Charlotte has become increasingly challenging as time has gone by.
' It's moved to a whole new level as we get to the end of Year 10, start of Year 11, to the point where there are times when she's been completely uncontrollable and outrageous in her behaviour.
All the teachers think they're right That's what does my head in.
I was trying to explain to Mr Drew the other day.
'He's not always right 'His voice just goes in one ear and out of the other.
'I tell him all the time, but he still goes on.
' You will now decide whether or not you wish that to happen.
If you don't, then refuse to do the 20 minutes at lunchtime, walk off from me, and you will be in a whole load more trouble.
Or you will decide to do the right thing.
There's no need for us to have a conversation.
There's no need for us to have a conversation.
Yeah, there is because Go and sit down Go and sit down Why should I do another ten minutes I don't have to do? Go and sit down.
Go and sit down.
Go and sit down.
No! Go and sit down.
Go and sit down.
You get to talk, so why can't I? Go and sit down.
'One of the things that is different today.
.
is that the boundaries between adults and young people aren't as secure.
Aren't as solid as they were in the past.
You're not sitting properly.
If you don't sit, I'll take the chair away from you.
I'll take the chair away from you.
I'll sit on the floor.
Don't bother me.
'They do seem to struggle with the concept of boundaries.
' The word no.
It is quite clear that so many young people do not understand the word no.
'Nobody ever tells me I can't do anything.
'My parents never stop me from doing anything.
Why is the answer no? 'That's something I think that's difficult for some young people.
' They're being failed.
They're being failed by their parents, failed by society because they are not learning the idea of no.
Come on, sir.
Excuse me, Charlotte.
I'll come when I'm ready.
Don't tell me what to do.
Excuse me, Charlotte.
I'll come when I'm ready.
Don't tell me what to do.
Well, I'm standing here like a lemon, doing nothi-i-ing! 'If you want to make someone like Charlotte succeed, 'you've got to give a bit of yourself.
You've got to be prepared 'to let that boundary be broken down.
'And if you can build up that relationship' and make them trust you, and believe that, at the end of the day, you have their best interests at heart and whatever they do, tomorrow is another day.
To be honest, with you five minutes time is another day.
I don't wish to experience your unpleasantness, so don't make me experience it so don't make me experience it All right so don't make me experience it All right Am I amused? He's laughing at me! He's laughing at me! Am I amused? I don't know, are you? I don't know, are you? Am I amused? I don't know, are you? I don't know, are you? Think about it Am I amused? I don't know, are you? I don't know, are you? Do you think I'm amused? I don't know, are you? Do you think I'm amused? Maybe.
We're doing this until you give the correct answer.
Will I be amused? We're doing this until you give the correct answer.
Will I be amused? I don't know because I'm not you.
Do you think I'll be amused? Have a guess, Charlotte.
That's why I'm saying maybe.
I don't know.
That's why I'm saying maybe.
I don't know.
Do you think I'll be amused? Oh, my God! Do you think I'll be amused? I can't stop laughing! I can't stop laughing! Do you think I'll be amused? Bearing was a follower of Cock, so therefore Bearing used LAUGHTER (Jesus.
) So immature! Oh, yeah, "So immature, Sam," while Gaby can hardly control himself.
The German Scientist bloke 'Before becoming deputy head, Mr Drew was a history teacher.
'It's a lesson he still teaches for two hours a week.
' LAUGHTER LAUGHTER It's him.
That's not bad, to be honest, because that's the third lesson that I've said "Cock" out loud in a very strong way, and that's the first time any of you have actually and that's the first time any of you have actually Sam has been wetting himself every time you say it! 'Without wishing to sound flippant about it, 'a teacher has to entertain,' because, at the end of the day, I think of the history lesson I've done this week, where we're talking about a 19th century cartoon from Punch about cholera, a waterborne public health disease and you're spending 40 minutes talking about this cartoon from 180 years ago with a bunch of 16-year-olds If you look at it like that - dull.
I'm just not interested.
Now, they chose history and I've seen people do these things and it just becomes so dull, but to me, teaching has got to be about making young people want to learn and letting them learn.
"Oh, I'm dying, I've got cholera it's really, really awful! "Oh, I know I'll come and stay in this nice hotel, "where all of you lot live "and then I'll urinate and defecate all over the floor "so my germs and bacteria get out, but don't worry "because when that goes into the ground, "the water will leach into your drinking water "and then you can drink all my waste.
" So why would lodgings for travellers be a problem for public health? So I thought history was going to be quite easy, it was going to be about Nazis, Germany and all of that but, nah, it's about all this medicine.
The only medicine I knew about was paracetamol and Calpol.
Chadwick has evidence.
What evidence can Chadwick give you that poor living conditions make you die? Dirty Water?.
No, no.
Look at the graph, look at the graph.
Look at the graph.
# Happy Birthday to you Happy birthday to you # You look like a monkey And you smell like one too.
# Yay, how about a good cheer?.
Just have five minutes of happy birthday time.
We've still got to work.
No! Happy birthday time.
No! Happy birthday time.
He's such a grump.
Happy Birthday time, sir.
Thank you very much, you're very kind.
Thank you.
Have you all been nice this lesson? They've been lovely.
They always are lovely.
The highlight of my day is my hour with my history class.
That is the highlight of my day.
You have no idea how much I like teaching you, you have no idea(!) 'Mr Drew's amazing.
'He is probably one of the best teachers in this school.
' The way that he just teaches and it gets stuck in your head so quickly.
He's just such a good teacher.
If I am a wealthy tax payer in the 1840s, I don't want to pay for you poor people to have anything.
And you're poor because you have too many children, you drink too much, you gamble too much, you smoke too much and you don't work hard enough because you don't know about what?.
because you don't know about what?.
Germs.
BELL RINGS BELL RINGS I haven't got a book, sir.
Unless you're Tom Tanfield and you've lost your book.
Morning, miss.
Good morning, happy birthday.
Good morning, happy birthday.
Thank you very much.
Happy Birthday, Mr Drew.
Lauren, say happy birthday to Mr Drew.
Happy Birthday, Mr Drew.
Happy birthday.
Can you remember why you wanted to become a teacher?.
No.
No.
If you'd asked me when I was 16 if I wanted to be a teacher, "No.
" When I did my A levels if I wanted to be a teacher, "No.
" In my first or second year of university, "No.
" I had no great desire at all.
'I think as I went for my third year of university, 'looked around at other things I could do, 'I enjoyed my subject, history, I enjoyed what I did,' and I think I spoke to other people who'd done it already and thought, "Actually, yeah, I could quite do that" # SHAKIN' STEVENS: "Merry Christmas Everyone" # Snow is falling, all around us # Children playing having fun.
# Cos I don't throw like that I throw properly.
Go to my office.
Go to my office.
Really? Go to my office.
Really? Go to my office.
It's just nonsense, isn't it?.
It's just nonsense, you're not man enough to do it from a distance and you come and stand there.
LAUGHTER Yay! Oh, yeah.
I wanna win, I wanna win.
It didn't snap.
SNAP (LAUGHS) Yes, sir.
Are you allowing them to do this? Are you allowing them to do this? Yeah.
Are you allowing them to do this? Yeah.
Why? Why? Because it makes them happy.
But now every time a member of staff comes out, they're going to throw snow balls at them.
BELL RINGS Snowballs down! Bell's gone, lesson time.
Playtime's over, learning time's started! What were you like at school? (LAUGHS) I was absolutely, fantastically, beautifully, wonderfully behaved.
No.
I think that I was somebody for whom school was an entertainment and a challenge and I think that I just decided I didn't want to be good, really.
Actually, that's unfair to myself, I don't think I really thought about it Stop it Don't Don't (LAUGHS) Oh! No! Oh, No! That bloody serves you right, go on.
You will never, ever be able to do that! Leave him, leave him, leave him in silence until it's done.
'I think the way I would describe it is, 'if I had to deal with myself at 14 or 15 years old, 'I think I would be getting rid of myself on a very regular basis,' I'd be calling my parents on a regular basis and I'd have me on report and everything else for the whole time, because I just thought I knew it all, knew all the answers and just wasn't interested and that was it and never knew when to stop.
Some people would say I've never changed.
Anything else, anybody? No? Thank you for this half term, it's been bloody hard work I have to say.
This is probably one of the toughest half terms I've had.
I don't know about you.
But the hardcore kids we've got are really fairly hardcore at the moment So time consuming.
They are massively time consuming.
(SOFT MUSIC DROWNS SPEECH) 'I think like most Year 11s, 'the vast majority just get on with it and will do really well.
'I think that there are just a few 'who are perhaps more challenging than last year,' but not necessarily more challenging than we've had in the past, but I also think we just get better at keeping going with them.
Go on then, tell me a bit about your behaviour.
What about it?.
Hello.
Where are you? Despite numerous visits to Mr Drew's office, Charlotte's behaviour has not improved.
What, you've not even left yet?.
Her obsession with her mobile phone is becoming a flash point with staff.
Where are ya? 'I think mobile phones are one of the biggest disasters 'in the modern education system, 'an absolute disaster in every possible way.
' They are incapable, lots of young people, of coping with the possession of a mobile phone and doing their education, completely incapable.
Deano's got, "Oh, safe, mate," Ashleigh's got, "Why did I agree to this?" cos she's gone and done that thing.
'If they do anything in lesson whatsoever, they're confiscated, 'no grey areas on that 'If the phone beeps cos the battery's going low, it will be confiscated.
' OK, phone and phone now.
Phone, Charlotte.
It weren't my phone.
It was.
It weren't It was.
My phone's here.
What was it, then? I want it here.
I want it here.
It weren't my phone! Don't shout.
Mason.
Don't shout.
Mason.
Jesus! I'm not going down this road again.
Well, I am.
I want your phone.
You ain't having my phone.
I'm not going to go through this again.
Well, you ain't having my phone.
If you want my phone, I'm going.
Have you always been like that?.
No.
Seriously? Seriously? No, I actually ain't Don't know, Year 10, I think.
No, Year 7 and 8, I weren't that bad but I was bad, but in Year 9 I was worse and then Year 10 I was worse, then Year 11 I was worser, no.
No.
Is that a word? (LAUGHS) You see this? Look at my fingers, you see this, right?.
Now look at me.
I've already looked.
No, I want you to look at me, keep looking at me, look at me.
What?.
What?.
This was how much patience I had for you on Monday and this is about now, OK? Mm.
So do you often end up being isolated? Yeah.
PHONE VIBRATES Is that your phone again? (LAUGHS) 'She is, you know, this very intelligent young person.
' She is somebody who is unable to make the right decision, who wants to express herself but, actually, sometimes, as an adult and as the teacher, you've got to be able to stand there and say, "Do you know something? Actually, you need to stop, "because if you don't stop and if I don't stop you "and if I don't sort of battle you and I don't stand there "and stop you from doing it, you will make a disaster of your life.
Shall I tell you something about your life? What?.
What?.
Shall I tell you something? In your life, you will never, ever come up against people who are as calm and patient as we are, for the rest of your life.
So I suggest that you, at the moment, are simply reinforcing the view that people have of you, which is where people actually say to me on a regular basis, "Why do you bother?.
" and I spend my time telling people, "Because she's worth it, because she will do well "because, actually, deep down "there's a nice decent young person trying to get out.
" Your attitude is disgusting.
Your attitude is disgusting.
Yeah, but now this is me because you're talking.
Oh! Is that the battle, I suppose, for them to accept what you think's acceptable that is different from what they think is acceptable? Absolutely, absolutely, battle's an interesting word.
'If you think about a battle if you're a military historian 'and you're studying a battle, 'battles aren't always 24-hours-a-day, 'complete head-on charging into each other.
' Sometimes battles are about planning.
Sometimes battles are actually about periods of lull, and then periods of intensity, so I think battle probably is a good word, but it shouldn't be taken to mean it's a fight the whole time.
Give me last week's report Please do not have left it behind or not got it signed, OK? You've got GCSEs to do and BTECs to do and every other Uncle Tom Cobbley exam under the sun so Charlotte's been on report for the last month.
With some improvement in her behaviour, she's being handed back to her form tutor.
From tomorrow morning, you are going to register with Mrs Emmilianova.
Now, is registering with Mrs Emmilianova any kind of problem? Yeah.
Why? Why? Cos Cos she annoys you the moment she enters the room, her breathing, her face, her speaking annoys you.
her face, her speaking annoys you.
No, she just has a go at me all the time.
I have a go at you, and you don't seem to be annoyed.
Yeah, you have a go at me for a reason that I've done, done something wrong.
So Mrs Emmilianova has a go at you and you don't think she should, so what do we do, Charlotte? Have a go at her back.
I'll give you a suggestion for how we're going to deal with Mrs Emmilianova, OK? Mrs Emmilianova has a go at you and you say, "OK, miss, I'm sorry that that thing happened.
" Yeah, but what if it weren't me? Yeah, but what if it weren't me? Stop, stop.
Listen, is that, "OK, miss, I'm sorry I did it"? No.
No.
Is that, "Quite frankly, miss, it weren't me"? Mm-hm.
Mm-hm.
Perhaps we could try that one? Yeah.
What is it today, the ninth? The eighth, sir, don't age me prematurely.
We've got a new strategy for Mrs Emmilianova.
Every time Mrs Emmilianova says something to her, she argues with her so this week's strategy with Mrs Emmilianova is when she has a go, Charlotte is going to say, "I'm really sorry that that thing happened, miss.
" (LAUGHS) And we've discussed how that isn't actually apologising for it.
.
Depersonalising it Depersonalising it .
.
But just says that, "I'm sorry the incident happened.
" That's so politician like.
"It is regrettable" Indeed! No, no, no.
Don't say, "It is regrettable," Charlotte.
Say, "Miss, I'm really sorry that that thing happened," OK? That'll be this week's strategy, OK? All right Off you go.
Off you go.
All right, thanks.
Thank you very much.
Bye! Bye! Bye, bye! Most students will respond eventually to Mr Drew's advice.
But not all.
Some are so disruptive, they test the school to its limit OK, stop.
Stop.
Stop! No, why is it OK for you to do that?.
No, why is it OK for you to do that?.
Because you are 15 or 16 years old, I'm 38 years old.
Anyway, I'm talking, so Anyway, I'm talking, so No, you will talk when I tell you you can.
At the moment, you won't I'm not a dog.
I'll talk whenever you want?.
I'm not a dog.
I'll talk whenever you want?.
Yes.
Yes.
The most difficult students are given what's called a fixed-term exclusion, meaning that they're suspended from school for up to a week.
I'm looking to exclude him for between three and five days, Because I think it needs to be that very, very clear and stark message.
But if these measures fail, schools can permanently exclude a child.
For Mr Drew, though, expelling a student isn't the solution.
When I was at school there was always that fear of being expelled, so if this school strives for no permanent exclusions then there isn't that fear in the students, so ultimately they're always going to win.
No.
No.
Yeah, of course they're gonna - I want them to win.
I don't want them to lose.
Permanent exclusion is wrong, wrong, morally wrong.
If I permanently exclude you from this school, you are significantly more likely to be involved in criminal activity, you are more likely to go to prison, to fail your qualifications, you are more likely to not succeed, so that's wrong.
I tell you what, becoming a no fail organisation's not easy, is it?.
(LAUGHS) It's going to kill us en route.
Well, you a lot, to be honest, and when he explodes you'll be covered in body parts and detritus and other stuff that's flying around! and other stuff that's flying around! Shall I tell you what I worry about all the time? Shall I tell you what really, really worries me with the Channel 4 thing, is that people watch it and they just think we're a bunch of idiots? Yeah I know, "Just kick them out, just kick them out.
" And the nice people go, "How hard they're working, how hard they're trying," and then Michael Gove in the Commons is asked, "Have you seen what that deputy head is doing?" "Yeah, the man's an idiot".
"Yeah, the man's an idiot".
Yeah, "Kick 'em out!" "Just kick her out! This is not what we want in the education system! "That school is the cause of the problem!" That's the main thing that I worry about with this documentary, is that we do everything that our colleagues in education will think is fantastic, great and all the rest of it is great, and the greater public watch it and just think, "You're a bunch of fucking idiots.
" I know.
I know.
"What do they have to say to you in order for you to get rid of them? "No wonder you have such discipline problems - you're all spineless!" It's almost the end of term and the heavy snow is causing problems for the senior leadership team.
Jo, do you have anything you wish to add to this meeting? I think you should have lots, to stop Stephen talking.
He's on one this morning.
Oh, no - I have remembered something.
I think on Friday when they line up for the exams, they shouldn't line up outside, because it's too cold.
And we ought to get them to gather in the gym and then send them from the gym to the sports hall.
and then send them from the gym to the sports hall.
I agree.
Unfortunately, I have had a number of conversations with parents whose hoodies I have confiscated in the last few days.
I've had one particular parent who said, "I'm sorry, "but at the end of the day my child not being freezing cold "is more important than your uniform and you are just inhumane.
" Take the jumper off and give it to me.
Take the jumper off and give it to me.
But it'll be cold.
Take the jumper off.
Thank you very much.
Now go and do your exam.
Even in the festive season, the school maintain their high standards when it comes to uniform.
Sweet.
.
Hold on.
You're dressed appropriately.
You're not dressed appropriately.
Right then, gentlemen, let us move on.
'We have very high standards around certain things 'and uniform is something where we have a different stance 'to other schools in town.
' The community we serve has a lot of inconsistency in their life.
Mum and Dad are both working or they're looking after themselves or single parents or whatever - there's a lot of variation in their lives, which is stressful.
Change and inconsistency are stressful, and I think they just found it was consistent Lovely, Connor - you look stunning.
'We expect things to be good.
'We're very intent on attendance and standards generally,' so if you choose to be very intent on these things, to allow the young people to have the best opportunity they can, then you have to accept that things are going to be fairly relentless.
It's 8:15 on Wednesday morning, and for Mr Drew, a rule-breaking red hoody is about to turn his day upside down.
OK, stop, and take it off before you come any further, because I know that it has been a source of great conflict over the last few days, so we'd like to start the day, Carmelita, without conflict.
Yes? Right, shall we start with conflict?.
No, exactly.
Let's not start with conflict.
Don't tell me to shush.
She's one of the most challenging young people we've ever had.
Definitely, by a long way, because she has that attitude that I always say that young people have.
Once a young person decides they don't care, and they don't care what you do, you're stuffed.
Good, you may have it at break time.
Thank you.
No - at break time.
Then we shall start the day walking round the school together.
No, I won't go away.
He can be all right sometimes - you can have a laugh with him, but when you're, like, annoyed and he comes up to you and you just I think it's the way he talks, as well - he talks like proper sarcastic So pleased that we're starting the day with conflict, which Carmelita has now chosen.
It's hard to describe him.
He's just like something that won't go away.
Deep down, just at the moment buried so deep, there's this really kind, caring person.
She just can't find it Oh, dear.
Now you're excluded.
OK, that solves that problem.
Well, Carmelita, it's entirely up to you, because after my meeting I will phone your mother to inform her you're excluded.
Not a great start Yeah, I go home.
If that's your choice, yes.
The penalty for swearing at a teacher is a one-day exclusion.
OK, your choice.
It's a lovely hat, but we don't need to wear it It's Christmas, sir.
I don't care.
Where's your tie? In my pocket Then let's do all of the uniform things, shall we, Dean? OK, nobody else is allowed to exclude anyone today because I've already You nearly excluded me.
You've excluded someone before we've started the day? You've excluded someone before we've started the day? Yes, Carmelita.
She had her hoody on so I said, "How about we avoid conflict "and solve the problem and you give me the hoody?" "No! You can just piss off!" I said, "Well, there we go.
" She said, "Can I go home?" I said, "That appears to be the choice you've made.
"I'll ring your mum when I have a moment Thank you.
" Can we just keep her off till January now, then? She's one of my favourites.
Brilliant, Russell.
Then you ring her mum and say, "Mr Drew has deliberately caused her to swear at him, "but I don't want to exclude her.
"I'd like her to stay in school and do an English GCSE with me.
" Hi, it's Russell King.
Is this Mrs Passmore? I'm calling on behalf of Mr Drew because he met Carmelita before school started today and asked her to take off her hoody.
Carmelita refused and he ended up following her around the school She took it off and refused to give it to me.
Oh, sorry - Mr Drew just tapped me on the shoulder and corrected me.
It turned into a protracted period of Mr Drew following her.
Eventually she just told him to piss off.
Mr Drew, she's just told her mum that you pulled her by her shoulder.
She can say whatever she wishes to say.
At no point whatsoever was I within two metres of her.
Hi.
I did hear that I just relayed that to Mr Drew as well and he said at no point was he within even two metres of her.
So he categorically denies that accusation.
I was calling because Mr Drew's initial instinct was to exclude Carmelita for what's she done and I said, "Hold on - I have a good relationship with Carmelita.
"She's done good work for me over the term.
" However, now that I've heard her lying about Mr Drew and I'm sorry Are you accusing me of that, please? Right, that's the end of this conversation.
Goodbye.
That's horrifically rude.
I absolutely refuse to have anything to do with that woman.
She accused me of licking your backside.
(LAUGHS) Sorry.
I feel horrendously insulted by this and I require the head teacher to now take this up on my behalf.
School rules dictate that any accusation of assault must be dealt with immediately by Mr Goddard.
My job as the head, the first and most important thing is to keep people safe.
It strikes at the core of what a school is about.
Parents choose schools cos they trust them to do the right thing for that young person and the very, very worst thing you can do is to put them in an unsafe situation with someone who is supposed to be trusted.
She's got this red hoody that she wears all the time.
Yep.
Yep.
If you tell her to take it off, she either argues or takes it off but once your back is turned, she puts it back on.
She told me to shut up, get lost and she said, "You can just piss off cos I don't want to talk about it" I said in that case, you'll be excluded for swearing.
So she then says to mum, Mr Drew grabbed hold of my shoulder at which point Russell said to her mum clearly Carmelita has not only sworn but has now made an accusation of assault against a member of staff.
but has now made an accusation of assault against a member of staff.
Yeah, OK.
Thank you.
Carmelita, come in please.
Do you want to tell me what's happened today? Do you want to tell me what's happened today? I walked in.
Yep.
Then he kept on coming near me, saying "I'll take your blazer," and I said, "No, I don't want you to," and he just kept on carrying on speaking and he was just, like, touching my shoulder and trying to bring me back to get my jacket and I was, like, "Get off".
Where did that happen? Outside the toilets.
Obviously, I need to look on the CCTV footage for that cos I take members of staff assaulting students really seriously.
And the accusation that you've made is that he's assaulted you, according to your mum.
Well, at least I've admitted that I told him to piss off cos it was.
What I'm trying to get to the bottom of is have I got a member of staff who is a danger to young people who can't control himself? In which case I'd need to suspend him, wouldn't I? Can you come and show me where Mr Drew made contact with you so I can check the CCTV footage, please? So the initial conversation happened down the tech corridor, is that right?.
It started down at.
.
Down the end there, yeah? He went like that and his hand was like towards my shoulder.
I was like, "What are you doing?" and he was like, "Come back here.
" I turned around and he's like got his arm out, I went, "What you doing?" So, got his arm out or grabbed you or made contact? You need to give me exactly what happened cos obviously I've got a camera there which'll see it clearly and a camera at the far end which will see it quite clearly so and a camera at the far end which will see it quite clearly so That little red thing? No, that black circle there and that black circle up there.
Obviously, that was locked at the time and I turned round and he's got his arm round and he went like that and he swiped it down and I was like, "Sir, what are you doing?" So he did or he didn't make contact?.
So he did or he didn't make contact?.
Yeah, he went like that Right Right I was just like, "What you doing?" He goes, "You need to give me your jacket," and I went, "Piss off," and then I walked away.
For the pupils and the staff's protection, the school has its own network of CCTV cameras.
Hiya, mate.
Can I review something on the CCTV camera? It's the channel ten camera between 8:35 and 8:45.
We're looking for Drewy coming in that direction, towards the cameras.
There, that's it 9:14.
No contact at all there, is there? Carmelita, come in, please.
Right-hand screen.
He remains a couple of metres away, no contact at all.
It's not that I don't believe you.
I can't believe you, cos it's not true.
It's quite simple, photographic evidence.
We can go to court if we need to.
Come back round.
Close the door for me.
Hi, it's Mr Goddard.
Hiya.
I've got young Carmelita with me, just going through she made an accusation against a member of staff this morning so we've just been through that We've just reviewed it on CCTV footage, we've got the whole incident but Mr Drew was not within arm's reach of her at any time.
No, no problem, I took her seriously and, please ask her, I took her seriously, I take all accusations like that seriously, I've looked at the camera I've looked at the camera Crap! You couldn't even see us.
I've looked at the cameras all the way around and there was no contact at all.
Yep.
Obviously, she needs to come home and we'll see her in January.
Sorry.
All right, thanks a lot Bye.
Why would I lie about someone touching me? Why would I lie about someone touching me? There was no contact, Carmelita, he hadn't assaulted you in any way, you made a false accusation.
you made a false accusation.
Did I say he assaulted me? No.
That's what your mum said and that's all I can deal with.
Your mum's the adult in this situation, she would only react to what you say.
You can try to deflect from your unacceptable behaviour by making accusations against staff, however I will always look at them seriously because my job is to keep you safe.
I do feel I keep you safe and actually the unsafe person is you.
Your behaviour is unsafe.
If you make accusations against staff, their futures are on the line, their mortgages, their houses, their families and I don't accept that that can ever happen.
I'm disgusted.
You try and ruin somebody's life by doing that It's not good enough.
Go home.
I don't want to see you till January.
That's exactly what I just said.
What a morning.
I'm just going to sort out your tie, yeah? Crest below the knot Yeah? The head teacher peanutted you there, there you go.
Morning, ladies.
Afternoon, I mean.
You all right, Luke? Right Hello.
Hello.
It's hot in here, isn't it?.
Cameron, you've done your time, you can go now.
I thought I was doing an hour, sir?.
You were doing half an hour, you can go.
If I was you I'd just go.
You've got five more minutes to do but I need to talk to Mr Goddard.
If you want, you can come back later, do you want to do it later?.
If you want, you can come back later, do you want to do it later?.
Say, "No.
" No, sir.
No, sir.
Do you understand what I said yesterday? Yes.
Are you sorry? Yes.
Bye-bye.
See you later, Cam.
'Following an allegation against Mr Drew,' 'head teacher Mr Goddard has spoken to the pupil's mum.
' I phoned her up and said, "Just to let you know, "I've taken Carmelita's accusation of assault seriously.
"I've spoken to her, taken a statement, reviewed the footage "on CCTV and unfortunately, your daughter's lying.
" Well, fortunately.
Well, fortunately.
(LAUGHS) Cheers, mate.
Thanks! Cheers, mate.
Thanks! Unfortunately for her.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
What did she accuse you of? Pushing her.
It's funny, cos it came from grabbing her, through to pushing her, to, "He did that as I went past.
" I was like, "OK.
" 'It is a worry that there is always potential 'that some malicious allegation is going to cause problems,' but then, that could happen to anyone.
People lieyou know, children lie, adults lie, people lie.
And if you spend your entire life saying, "I'm never going "to put myself in a situation where someone can lie about me," then you're not going to do anything.
So, I'm not going to blame Carmelita for that She does the wrong thing, fine.
We move on.
She makes her apology eventually.
At the end of the day, she will finish with eight GCSEs.
We will be on our knees and need to sleep for the whole of August as a result, but she'll have passed it all.
I was almost delirious today, I couldn't be cross, I couldn't be angry, I couldn't be anything.
Do you know what Joe Els did yesterday? Which basically killed me at the end of the day.
Obviously, period five, I had to go and teach, and about 15 minutes later he turns up in I'm not sure who's - Becks Conway or Anna Fernando's lesson with one of those plastic cups, and what's he got in it?.
Some of my smoothie out of the fridge.
I knew you'd bloody laugh.
I was absolutely outraged! I was absolutely outraged! No, he hasn't! I tell you, of all the things that's happened in the last two days that's pissed me off more than anything.
Pissed me off! Oh, Drewy! That really did me in, that did.
'Steve is just,' what he does amazes me.
His work ethic, his passion, his willingness to be kicked and get back up.
'It's something that you can't really measure.
'He's remarkable.
' Nat, who's this for?.
Oh, you.
Nat, who's this for?.
Oh, you.
Oh, what luck! It's the final senior team meeting before Christmas.
Good idea, mate.
Wash and wax! And a chamois leather.
Did you ask for that?.
Yep.
LAUGHTER It's hardly secret, girls, is it?.
It's hardly a Secret Santa, is it?.
Someone's laughing already.
This is not a good sign.
(LAUGHS) (MR DREW) Oh, yes! (MR GODDARD) What is it, I can't see? It's a Designer Beaver.
It's a Designer Beaver.
A Designer Beaver?.
! These people run a school! These people run a school! # THE POGUES FT.
KIRSTY MACCOLL: Fai le Of New Yo Do a bit of that?.
# They've got cars big as bars # They've got rivers of gold # But the wind goes right through you # It's no place for the old # When you first took my hand # On a cold Christmas Eve # You promised me Broadway was waiting for me # 'I think one of the things that I believe about our school 'is that it is a happy place, 'it is a place where people come, 'it is a place where I think young people can feel safe, 'can feel trusted, feel believed 'and it's a school where we are prepared 'to do anything, to go to the next level and the next level and so on, 'in terms of what needs to be done.
' # And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day # 'I like young people, I find them interesting, I find them exciting, 'I find them invigorating.
' # You're a bum, you're a punk # You're an old slut on junk # 'I think it's so grotesquely hypocritical 'of adults in the modern age to say that young people today are worse.
'They're not worse, they're a product 'of what we as a society create, 'and they have less opportunity to be children.
# And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day # So, yes, it's hard work, but why is hard work a bad thing? Hard work is surely what makes people better.
So, yeah, it's hard work, but OK, good, thank you.
I like hard work.
# Da-da, da, da, da-da, # Da-da, da, da, da, da-da # Da-da, da, da, da, da # Da-da, da, da, da-da # Da-da, da, da, da-da # Whey! Thank you, everyone! Next week, a case of 21st century bullying She got texts last night saying, "We're watching.
You look lovely when you're asleep.
" It makes me upset, I've not done anything to him! Fat Boy! Fatty, fatty, boom boom! .
.
and something a bit more old school.
I wouldn't say I was a bully, I don't go out of my way to punch people I don't go out of my way to punch people Move it! .
.
any more.
I've got a parent who's apparently on her way down here to "sort you out.
" Oh, she can come if she wants.
I'll put her on her arse! Red Bee Media Ltd
Your school days Love them Love them I was wondering about black hole formation.
I lying in bed last night, thinking how 99% of everything is empty space.
Yeah, I don't like to dwell on that It's quite worrying.
Or loathe them We know diameter is circumference divided by pie We know diameter is circumference divided by pie What is pie? Where did it come from? You never forget them.
SCHOOL BELL All right Clear off, scumbags.
At this school in Essex, 160 students are in their final and most important year and their head teacher has grand ambitions.
'The mantra we use' is nobody leaves without enough qualifications to make the next step in their life.
But that's easier said than done.
Sir?.
Mm? I feel like crying for no reason.
Is that normal? What, at your age? Yeah.
They're teenagers They're teenagers Oh, my Go-od! Emotional In the nicest possible way, it's a girl.
Excitable It's the laughing! Always laughing! And a constant challenge.
You will never, ever come up against people who are as calm and patient as we are for the rest of your life.
How does he? You are such a bugger! (ALL) Ooh! This series reveals what life is really like in a modern secondary school.
Feeling bruised? For the teachers We are trying to deliver you a future.
I think we have a responsibility to give them the right chances.
And today's kids at the very start of adult life.
How you do this year will determine what path you take in life.
This programme contains some strong language # THE POGUES AND KIRSTY MCCOLL: Fai le In New Yo # It was Christmas Eve, babe # In the drunk tank # An old man said to me # "Won't see another one" # 'I love my job and everyday is different 'I love the interaction with the kids, I love the fact 'that you can see them making progress, 'there's nothing to match it, nothing to touch it.
(SINGS ALONG) # And dreamed about you # Happy Christmas # I love you, baby # Stephen Drew has been the school's deputy head for the last three years.
# When all our dreams come true # Dum, dum, dum, dum, du-um # # They got cars big as bars # They got rivers of gold # But the wind goes right through you It's not place for the old # # When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas eve # You promised me Broadway was waiting for me # KNOCKING ON DOOR Come in! MUSIC OFF MUSIC OFF YES? Mr King.
Mr King? Oh, I thought he was there.
Shows how much I know, too busy singing.
Oh, very kind.
Thank you.
Thank you, Adam.
MUSIC ED ON # Da, da, da, da, da # 'Steve is so integral to the school, 'to me being a head.
' I would be half as good without him, without a shadow of a doubt Hello, Jordon.
Hello, Lee.
Lee? I am disturbed by the sight of your footwear every single day when I see it 'He is who he is.
This little sergeant major character 'the kids see is exactly who he is.
He's one of those people 'who lives life quickly, talks quickly and walks really quickly.
' Is he here now? Oh, how does he? You are such a bugger! How? I was going to say how do you do this? I thought you had gone out the window or something.
As Mr Goddard's deputy, Mr Drew is in charge of discipline and enforcing the rules.
'Vic needs somebody who is going to deliver his vision.
' I think he needs somebody who is slightly you know, uber-focused and everything and very obsessive, who will just make the things he actually wants to happen a reality.
SCHOOL BELL May I have your phone? Put your hoodie up at the end of the day.
For Mr Drew, reality starts at 8.
40 every morning.
Excuse me, young person.
Come here.
Just in case, for some reason, you don't understand the very clear rules of the school you attend, we do not wear hoodies at this school.
So do not do so.
You may pick up your hoodie from me at the end of the school day.
You appear to have used your hoodie to cover up the fact that you have chosen not to do your top button up.
Come here! You may go, you may go.
You're inside the building, no need for you to wear that dead animal.
You may have your jacket from me at break and lunch and at the end of school each day, to avoid the on-going, constant conflict that exists over you wearing it in the corridors.
'As deputy head, my role is the gatekeeper.
'The person who is maintaining the standards' and the discipline.
The one who's having difficult conversations.
If you step towards him and try and physically attack him I will restrain you.
I don't give a shit! I don't give a shit! I know you don't Excuse me, excuse me, EXCUSE ME! WHAT?.
! I have told you not to speak.
He's a bigger bullshitter than me.
He's a bigger bullshitter than me.
I have told you not to speak.
'I always thought, Mr Drew,' cos everyone does, he is an evil overlord who will completely incinerate you if you annoy him.
Put your report back on my desk.
Thank you very much.
But when I actually had him as a history teacher, he's actually quite fun.
He's completely insane.
Mr Drew can be a legend, but when he wants to be, he can be really annoying.
I, you know, I give you credit for your ingenuity and your ability to get round systems.
Although you're one step ahead of me, bear in mind I'm always standing right behind you, catching up.
As I catch up, I deal with it I don't think you're a bad person.
But you've been caught Accept it Thank you for your time, I'm sure we'll speak again, but hopefully in more positive circumstances.
'At the end of the day, I'm the brick wall.
' I'm the brick wall, what you want to do is on the other side of the wall and I'm afraid to say I am the brick wall and you are not going past.
Are you ready? Yeah.
Yeah.
OK, I'll explain it to you.
No, because he didn't say I had a break detention.
Stop.
Stop Stop.
Stop No! He didn't say I had a detention, so why should I do it?.
I shouldn't have one.
I shouldn't have one.
Stop.
No, because I'm right Stop.
Stop Stop.
Stop Oh, my God! Stop.
Thank you.
Being sent to Mr Drew is often the last resort for pupil discipline.
You have ten minutes at lunch time for a cross on your report for your attitude during the lesson.
Since Charlotte started in her final year, she's become a regular visitor to the deputy head's office.
'Charlotte has become increasingly challenging as time has gone by.
' It's moved to a whole new level as we get to the end of Year 10, start of Year 11, to the point where there are times when she's been completely uncontrollable and outrageous in her behaviour.
All the teachers think they're right That's what does my head in.
I was trying to explain to Mr Drew the other day.
'He's not always right 'His voice just goes in one ear and out of the other.
'I tell him all the time, but he still goes on.
' You will now decide whether or not you wish that to happen.
If you don't, then refuse to do the 20 minutes at lunchtime, walk off from me, and you will be in a whole load more trouble.
Or you will decide to do the right thing.
There's no need for us to have a conversation.
There's no need for us to have a conversation.
Yeah, there is because Go and sit down Go and sit down Why should I do another ten minutes I don't have to do? Go and sit down.
Go and sit down.
Go and sit down.
No! Go and sit down.
Go and sit down.
You get to talk, so why can't I? Go and sit down.
'One of the things that is different today.
.
is that the boundaries between adults and young people aren't as secure.
Aren't as solid as they were in the past.
You're not sitting properly.
If you don't sit, I'll take the chair away from you.
I'll take the chair away from you.
I'll sit on the floor.
Don't bother me.
'They do seem to struggle with the concept of boundaries.
' The word no.
It is quite clear that so many young people do not understand the word no.
'Nobody ever tells me I can't do anything.
'My parents never stop me from doing anything.
Why is the answer no? 'That's something I think that's difficult for some young people.
' They're being failed.
They're being failed by their parents, failed by society because they are not learning the idea of no.
Come on, sir.
Excuse me, Charlotte.
I'll come when I'm ready.
Don't tell me what to do.
Excuse me, Charlotte.
I'll come when I'm ready.
Don't tell me what to do.
Well, I'm standing here like a lemon, doing nothi-i-ing! 'If you want to make someone like Charlotte succeed, 'you've got to give a bit of yourself.
You've got to be prepared 'to let that boundary be broken down.
'And if you can build up that relationship' and make them trust you, and believe that, at the end of the day, you have their best interests at heart and whatever they do, tomorrow is another day.
To be honest, with you five minutes time is another day.
I don't wish to experience your unpleasantness, so don't make me experience it so don't make me experience it All right so don't make me experience it All right Am I amused? He's laughing at me! He's laughing at me! Am I amused? I don't know, are you? I don't know, are you? Am I amused? I don't know, are you? I don't know, are you? Think about it Am I amused? I don't know, are you? I don't know, are you? Do you think I'm amused? I don't know, are you? Do you think I'm amused? Maybe.
We're doing this until you give the correct answer.
Will I be amused? We're doing this until you give the correct answer.
Will I be amused? I don't know because I'm not you.
Do you think I'll be amused? Have a guess, Charlotte.
That's why I'm saying maybe.
I don't know.
That's why I'm saying maybe.
I don't know.
Do you think I'll be amused? Oh, my God! Do you think I'll be amused? I can't stop laughing! I can't stop laughing! Do you think I'll be amused? Bearing was a follower of Cock, so therefore Bearing used LAUGHTER (Jesus.
) So immature! Oh, yeah, "So immature, Sam," while Gaby can hardly control himself.
The German Scientist bloke 'Before becoming deputy head, Mr Drew was a history teacher.
'It's a lesson he still teaches for two hours a week.
' LAUGHTER LAUGHTER It's him.
That's not bad, to be honest, because that's the third lesson that I've said "Cock" out loud in a very strong way, and that's the first time any of you have actually and that's the first time any of you have actually Sam has been wetting himself every time you say it! 'Without wishing to sound flippant about it, 'a teacher has to entertain,' because, at the end of the day, I think of the history lesson I've done this week, where we're talking about a 19th century cartoon from Punch about cholera, a waterborne public health disease and you're spending 40 minutes talking about this cartoon from 180 years ago with a bunch of 16-year-olds If you look at it like that - dull.
I'm just not interested.
Now, they chose history and I've seen people do these things and it just becomes so dull, but to me, teaching has got to be about making young people want to learn and letting them learn.
"Oh, I'm dying, I've got cholera it's really, really awful! "Oh, I know I'll come and stay in this nice hotel, "where all of you lot live "and then I'll urinate and defecate all over the floor "so my germs and bacteria get out, but don't worry "because when that goes into the ground, "the water will leach into your drinking water "and then you can drink all my waste.
" So why would lodgings for travellers be a problem for public health? So I thought history was going to be quite easy, it was going to be about Nazis, Germany and all of that but, nah, it's about all this medicine.
The only medicine I knew about was paracetamol and Calpol.
Chadwick has evidence.
What evidence can Chadwick give you that poor living conditions make you die? Dirty Water?.
No, no.
Look at the graph, look at the graph.
Look at the graph.
# Happy Birthday to you Happy birthday to you # You look like a monkey And you smell like one too.
# Yay, how about a good cheer?.
Just have five minutes of happy birthday time.
We've still got to work.
No! Happy birthday time.
No! Happy birthday time.
He's such a grump.
Happy Birthday time, sir.
Thank you very much, you're very kind.
Thank you.
Have you all been nice this lesson? They've been lovely.
They always are lovely.
The highlight of my day is my hour with my history class.
That is the highlight of my day.
You have no idea how much I like teaching you, you have no idea(!) 'Mr Drew's amazing.
'He is probably one of the best teachers in this school.
' The way that he just teaches and it gets stuck in your head so quickly.
He's just such a good teacher.
If I am a wealthy tax payer in the 1840s, I don't want to pay for you poor people to have anything.
And you're poor because you have too many children, you drink too much, you gamble too much, you smoke too much and you don't work hard enough because you don't know about what?.
because you don't know about what?.
Germs.
BELL RINGS BELL RINGS I haven't got a book, sir.
Unless you're Tom Tanfield and you've lost your book.
Morning, miss.
Good morning, happy birthday.
Good morning, happy birthday.
Thank you very much.
Happy Birthday, Mr Drew.
Lauren, say happy birthday to Mr Drew.
Happy Birthday, Mr Drew.
Happy birthday.
Can you remember why you wanted to become a teacher?.
No.
No.
If you'd asked me when I was 16 if I wanted to be a teacher, "No.
" When I did my A levels if I wanted to be a teacher, "No.
" In my first or second year of university, "No.
" I had no great desire at all.
'I think as I went for my third year of university, 'looked around at other things I could do, 'I enjoyed my subject, history, I enjoyed what I did,' and I think I spoke to other people who'd done it already and thought, "Actually, yeah, I could quite do that" # SHAKIN' STEVENS: "Merry Christmas Everyone" # Snow is falling, all around us # Children playing having fun.
# Cos I don't throw like that I throw properly.
Go to my office.
Go to my office.
Really? Go to my office.
Really? Go to my office.
It's just nonsense, isn't it?.
It's just nonsense, you're not man enough to do it from a distance and you come and stand there.
LAUGHTER Yay! Oh, yeah.
I wanna win, I wanna win.
It didn't snap.
SNAP (LAUGHS) Yes, sir.
Are you allowing them to do this? Are you allowing them to do this? Yeah.
Are you allowing them to do this? Yeah.
Why? Why? Because it makes them happy.
But now every time a member of staff comes out, they're going to throw snow balls at them.
BELL RINGS Snowballs down! Bell's gone, lesson time.
Playtime's over, learning time's started! What were you like at school? (LAUGHS) I was absolutely, fantastically, beautifully, wonderfully behaved.
No.
I think that I was somebody for whom school was an entertainment and a challenge and I think that I just decided I didn't want to be good, really.
Actually, that's unfair to myself, I don't think I really thought about it Stop it Don't Don't (LAUGHS) Oh! No! Oh, No! That bloody serves you right, go on.
You will never, ever be able to do that! Leave him, leave him, leave him in silence until it's done.
'I think the way I would describe it is, 'if I had to deal with myself at 14 or 15 years old, 'I think I would be getting rid of myself on a very regular basis,' I'd be calling my parents on a regular basis and I'd have me on report and everything else for the whole time, because I just thought I knew it all, knew all the answers and just wasn't interested and that was it and never knew when to stop.
Some people would say I've never changed.
Anything else, anybody? No? Thank you for this half term, it's been bloody hard work I have to say.
This is probably one of the toughest half terms I've had.
I don't know about you.
But the hardcore kids we've got are really fairly hardcore at the moment So time consuming.
They are massively time consuming.
(SOFT MUSIC DROWNS SPEECH) 'I think like most Year 11s, 'the vast majority just get on with it and will do really well.
'I think that there are just a few 'who are perhaps more challenging than last year,' but not necessarily more challenging than we've had in the past, but I also think we just get better at keeping going with them.
Go on then, tell me a bit about your behaviour.
What about it?.
Hello.
Where are you? Despite numerous visits to Mr Drew's office, Charlotte's behaviour has not improved.
What, you've not even left yet?.
Her obsession with her mobile phone is becoming a flash point with staff.
Where are ya? 'I think mobile phones are one of the biggest disasters 'in the modern education system, 'an absolute disaster in every possible way.
' They are incapable, lots of young people, of coping with the possession of a mobile phone and doing their education, completely incapable.
Deano's got, "Oh, safe, mate," Ashleigh's got, "Why did I agree to this?" cos she's gone and done that thing.
'If they do anything in lesson whatsoever, they're confiscated, 'no grey areas on that 'If the phone beeps cos the battery's going low, it will be confiscated.
' OK, phone and phone now.
Phone, Charlotte.
It weren't my phone.
It was.
It weren't It was.
My phone's here.
What was it, then? I want it here.
I want it here.
It weren't my phone! Don't shout.
Mason.
Don't shout.
Mason.
Jesus! I'm not going down this road again.
Well, I am.
I want your phone.
You ain't having my phone.
I'm not going to go through this again.
Well, you ain't having my phone.
If you want my phone, I'm going.
Have you always been like that?.
No.
Seriously? Seriously? No, I actually ain't Don't know, Year 10, I think.
No, Year 7 and 8, I weren't that bad but I was bad, but in Year 9 I was worse and then Year 10 I was worse, then Year 11 I was worser, no.
No.
Is that a word? (LAUGHS) You see this? Look at my fingers, you see this, right?.
Now look at me.
I've already looked.
No, I want you to look at me, keep looking at me, look at me.
What?.
What?.
This was how much patience I had for you on Monday and this is about now, OK? Mm.
So do you often end up being isolated? Yeah.
PHONE VIBRATES Is that your phone again? (LAUGHS) 'She is, you know, this very intelligent young person.
' She is somebody who is unable to make the right decision, who wants to express herself but, actually, sometimes, as an adult and as the teacher, you've got to be able to stand there and say, "Do you know something? Actually, you need to stop, "because if you don't stop and if I don't stop you "and if I don't sort of battle you and I don't stand there "and stop you from doing it, you will make a disaster of your life.
Shall I tell you something about your life? What?.
What?.
Shall I tell you something? In your life, you will never, ever come up against people who are as calm and patient as we are, for the rest of your life.
So I suggest that you, at the moment, are simply reinforcing the view that people have of you, which is where people actually say to me on a regular basis, "Why do you bother?.
" and I spend my time telling people, "Because she's worth it, because she will do well "because, actually, deep down "there's a nice decent young person trying to get out.
" Your attitude is disgusting.
Your attitude is disgusting.
Yeah, but now this is me because you're talking.
Oh! Is that the battle, I suppose, for them to accept what you think's acceptable that is different from what they think is acceptable? Absolutely, absolutely, battle's an interesting word.
'If you think about a battle if you're a military historian 'and you're studying a battle, 'battles aren't always 24-hours-a-day, 'complete head-on charging into each other.
' Sometimes battles are about planning.
Sometimes battles are actually about periods of lull, and then periods of intensity, so I think battle probably is a good word, but it shouldn't be taken to mean it's a fight the whole time.
Give me last week's report Please do not have left it behind or not got it signed, OK? You've got GCSEs to do and BTECs to do and every other Uncle Tom Cobbley exam under the sun so Charlotte's been on report for the last month.
With some improvement in her behaviour, she's being handed back to her form tutor.
From tomorrow morning, you are going to register with Mrs Emmilianova.
Now, is registering with Mrs Emmilianova any kind of problem? Yeah.
Why? Why? Cos Cos she annoys you the moment she enters the room, her breathing, her face, her speaking annoys you.
her face, her speaking annoys you.
No, she just has a go at me all the time.
I have a go at you, and you don't seem to be annoyed.
Yeah, you have a go at me for a reason that I've done, done something wrong.
So Mrs Emmilianova has a go at you and you don't think she should, so what do we do, Charlotte? Have a go at her back.
I'll give you a suggestion for how we're going to deal with Mrs Emmilianova, OK? Mrs Emmilianova has a go at you and you say, "OK, miss, I'm sorry that that thing happened.
" Yeah, but what if it weren't me? Yeah, but what if it weren't me? Stop, stop.
Listen, is that, "OK, miss, I'm sorry I did it"? No.
No.
Is that, "Quite frankly, miss, it weren't me"? Mm-hm.
Mm-hm.
Perhaps we could try that one? Yeah.
What is it today, the ninth? The eighth, sir, don't age me prematurely.
We've got a new strategy for Mrs Emmilianova.
Every time Mrs Emmilianova says something to her, she argues with her so this week's strategy with Mrs Emmilianova is when she has a go, Charlotte is going to say, "I'm really sorry that that thing happened, miss.
" (LAUGHS) And we've discussed how that isn't actually apologising for it.
.
Depersonalising it Depersonalising it .
.
But just says that, "I'm sorry the incident happened.
" That's so politician like.
"It is regrettable" Indeed! No, no, no.
Don't say, "It is regrettable," Charlotte.
Say, "Miss, I'm really sorry that that thing happened," OK? That'll be this week's strategy, OK? All right Off you go.
Off you go.
All right, thanks.
Thank you very much.
Bye! Bye! Bye, bye! Most students will respond eventually to Mr Drew's advice.
But not all.
Some are so disruptive, they test the school to its limit OK, stop.
Stop.
Stop! No, why is it OK for you to do that?.
No, why is it OK for you to do that?.
Because you are 15 or 16 years old, I'm 38 years old.
Anyway, I'm talking, so Anyway, I'm talking, so No, you will talk when I tell you you can.
At the moment, you won't I'm not a dog.
I'll talk whenever you want?.
I'm not a dog.
I'll talk whenever you want?.
Yes.
Yes.
The most difficult students are given what's called a fixed-term exclusion, meaning that they're suspended from school for up to a week.
I'm looking to exclude him for between three and five days, Because I think it needs to be that very, very clear and stark message.
But if these measures fail, schools can permanently exclude a child.
For Mr Drew, though, expelling a student isn't the solution.
When I was at school there was always that fear of being expelled, so if this school strives for no permanent exclusions then there isn't that fear in the students, so ultimately they're always going to win.
No.
No.
Yeah, of course they're gonna - I want them to win.
I don't want them to lose.
Permanent exclusion is wrong, wrong, morally wrong.
If I permanently exclude you from this school, you are significantly more likely to be involved in criminal activity, you are more likely to go to prison, to fail your qualifications, you are more likely to not succeed, so that's wrong.
I tell you what, becoming a no fail organisation's not easy, is it?.
(LAUGHS) It's going to kill us en route.
Well, you a lot, to be honest, and when he explodes you'll be covered in body parts and detritus and other stuff that's flying around! and other stuff that's flying around! Shall I tell you what I worry about all the time? Shall I tell you what really, really worries me with the Channel 4 thing, is that people watch it and they just think we're a bunch of idiots? Yeah I know, "Just kick them out, just kick them out.
" And the nice people go, "How hard they're working, how hard they're trying," and then Michael Gove in the Commons is asked, "Have you seen what that deputy head is doing?" "Yeah, the man's an idiot".
"Yeah, the man's an idiot".
Yeah, "Kick 'em out!" "Just kick her out! This is not what we want in the education system! "That school is the cause of the problem!" That's the main thing that I worry about with this documentary, is that we do everything that our colleagues in education will think is fantastic, great and all the rest of it is great, and the greater public watch it and just think, "You're a bunch of fucking idiots.
" I know.
I know.
"What do they have to say to you in order for you to get rid of them? "No wonder you have such discipline problems - you're all spineless!" It's almost the end of term and the heavy snow is causing problems for the senior leadership team.
Jo, do you have anything you wish to add to this meeting? I think you should have lots, to stop Stephen talking.
He's on one this morning.
Oh, no - I have remembered something.
I think on Friday when they line up for the exams, they shouldn't line up outside, because it's too cold.
And we ought to get them to gather in the gym and then send them from the gym to the sports hall.
and then send them from the gym to the sports hall.
I agree.
Unfortunately, I have had a number of conversations with parents whose hoodies I have confiscated in the last few days.
I've had one particular parent who said, "I'm sorry, "but at the end of the day my child not being freezing cold "is more important than your uniform and you are just inhumane.
" Take the jumper off and give it to me.
Take the jumper off and give it to me.
But it'll be cold.
Take the jumper off.
Thank you very much.
Now go and do your exam.
Even in the festive season, the school maintain their high standards when it comes to uniform.
Sweet.
.
Hold on.
You're dressed appropriately.
You're not dressed appropriately.
Right then, gentlemen, let us move on.
'We have very high standards around certain things 'and uniform is something where we have a different stance 'to other schools in town.
' The community we serve has a lot of inconsistency in their life.
Mum and Dad are both working or they're looking after themselves or single parents or whatever - there's a lot of variation in their lives, which is stressful.
Change and inconsistency are stressful, and I think they just found it was consistent Lovely, Connor - you look stunning.
'We expect things to be good.
'We're very intent on attendance and standards generally,' so if you choose to be very intent on these things, to allow the young people to have the best opportunity they can, then you have to accept that things are going to be fairly relentless.
It's 8:15 on Wednesday morning, and for Mr Drew, a rule-breaking red hoody is about to turn his day upside down.
OK, stop, and take it off before you come any further, because I know that it has been a source of great conflict over the last few days, so we'd like to start the day, Carmelita, without conflict.
Yes? Right, shall we start with conflict?.
No, exactly.
Let's not start with conflict.
Don't tell me to shush.
She's one of the most challenging young people we've ever had.
Definitely, by a long way, because she has that attitude that I always say that young people have.
Once a young person decides they don't care, and they don't care what you do, you're stuffed.
Good, you may have it at break time.
Thank you.
No - at break time.
Then we shall start the day walking round the school together.
No, I won't go away.
He can be all right sometimes - you can have a laugh with him, but when you're, like, annoyed and he comes up to you and you just I think it's the way he talks, as well - he talks like proper sarcastic So pleased that we're starting the day with conflict, which Carmelita has now chosen.
It's hard to describe him.
He's just like something that won't go away.
Deep down, just at the moment buried so deep, there's this really kind, caring person.
She just can't find it Oh, dear.
Now you're excluded.
OK, that solves that problem.
Well, Carmelita, it's entirely up to you, because after my meeting I will phone your mother to inform her you're excluded.
Not a great start Yeah, I go home.
If that's your choice, yes.
The penalty for swearing at a teacher is a one-day exclusion.
OK, your choice.
It's a lovely hat, but we don't need to wear it It's Christmas, sir.
I don't care.
Where's your tie? In my pocket Then let's do all of the uniform things, shall we, Dean? OK, nobody else is allowed to exclude anyone today because I've already You nearly excluded me.
You've excluded someone before we've started the day? You've excluded someone before we've started the day? Yes, Carmelita.
She had her hoody on so I said, "How about we avoid conflict "and solve the problem and you give me the hoody?" "No! You can just piss off!" I said, "Well, there we go.
" She said, "Can I go home?" I said, "That appears to be the choice you've made.
"I'll ring your mum when I have a moment Thank you.
" Can we just keep her off till January now, then? She's one of my favourites.
Brilliant, Russell.
Then you ring her mum and say, "Mr Drew has deliberately caused her to swear at him, "but I don't want to exclude her.
"I'd like her to stay in school and do an English GCSE with me.
" Hi, it's Russell King.
Is this Mrs Passmore? I'm calling on behalf of Mr Drew because he met Carmelita before school started today and asked her to take off her hoody.
Carmelita refused and he ended up following her around the school She took it off and refused to give it to me.
Oh, sorry - Mr Drew just tapped me on the shoulder and corrected me.
It turned into a protracted period of Mr Drew following her.
Eventually she just told him to piss off.
Mr Drew, she's just told her mum that you pulled her by her shoulder.
She can say whatever she wishes to say.
At no point whatsoever was I within two metres of her.
Hi.
I did hear that I just relayed that to Mr Drew as well and he said at no point was he within even two metres of her.
So he categorically denies that accusation.
I was calling because Mr Drew's initial instinct was to exclude Carmelita for what's she done and I said, "Hold on - I have a good relationship with Carmelita.
"She's done good work for me over the term.
" However, now that I've heard her lying about Mr Drew and I'm sorry Are you accusing me of that, please? Right, that's the end of this conversation.
Goodbye.
That's horrifically rude.
I absolutely refuse to have anything to do with that woman.
She accused me of licking your backside.
(LAUGHS) Sorry.
I feel horrendously insulted by this and I require the head teacher to now take this up on my behalf.
School rules dictate that any accusation of assault must be dealt with immediately by Mr Goddard.
My job as the head, the first and most important thing is to keep people safe.
It strikes at the core of what a school is about.
Parents choose schools cos they trust them to do the right thing for that young person and the very, very worst thing you can do is to put them in an unsafe situation with someone who is supposed to be trusted.
She's got this red hoody that she wears all the time.
Yep.
Yep.
If you tell her to take it off, she either argues or takes it off but once your back is turned, she puts it back on.
She told me to shut up, get lost and she said, "You can just piss off cos I don't want to talk about it" I said in that case, you'll be excluded for swearing.
So she then says to mum, Mr Drew grabbed hold of my shoulder at which point Russell said to her mum clearly Carmelita has not only sworn but has now made an accusation of assault against a member of staff.
but has now made an accusation of assault against a member of staff.
Yeah, OK.
Thank you.
Carmelita, come in please.
Do you want to tell me what's happened today? Do you want to tell me what's happened today? I walked in.
Yep.
Then he kept on coming near me, saying "I'll take your blazer," and I said, "No, I don't want you to," and he just kept on carrying on speaking and he was just, like, touching my shoulder and trying to bring me back to get my jacket and I was, like, "Get off".
Where did that happen? Outside the toilets.
Obviously, I need to look on the CCTV footage for that cos I take members of staff assaulting students really seriously.
And the accusation that you've made is that he's assaulted you, according to your mum.
Well, at least I've admitted that I told him to piss off cos it was.
What I'm trying to get to the bottom of is have I got a member of staff who is a danger to young people who can't control himself? In which case I'd need to suspend him, wouldn't I? Can you come and show me where Mr Drew made contact with you so I can check the CCTV footage, please? So the initial conversation happened down the tech corridor, is that right?.
It started down at.
.
Down the end there, yeah? He went like that and his hand was like towards my shoulder.
I was like, "What are you doing?" and he was like, "Come back here.
" I turned around and he's like got his arm out, I went, "What you doing?" So, got his arm out or grabbed you or made contact? You need to give me exactly what happened cos obviously I've got a camera there which'll see it clearly and a camera at the far end which will see it quite clearly so and a camera at the far end which will see it quite clearly so That little red thing? No, that black circle there and that black circle up there.
Obviously, that was locked at the time and I turned round and he's got his arm round and he went like that and he swiped it down and I was like, "Sir, what are you doing?" So he did or he didn't make contact?.
So he did or he didn't make contact?.
Yeah, he went like that Right Right I was just like, "What you doing?" He goes, "You need to give me your jacket," and I went, "Piss off," and then I walked away.
For the pupils and the staff's protection, the school has its own network of CCTV cameras.
Hiya, mate.
Can I review something on the CCTV camera? It's the channel ten camera between 8:35 and 8:45.
We're looking for Drewy coming in that direction, towards the cameras.
There, that's it 9:14.
No contact at all there, is there? Carmelita, come in, please.
Right-hand screen.
He remains a couple of metres away, no contact at all.
It's not that I don't believe you.
I can't believe you, cos it's not true.
It's quite simple, photographic evidence.
We can go to court if we need to.
Come back round.
Close the door for me.
Hi, it's Mr Goddard.
Hiya.
I've got young Carmelita with me, just going through she made an accusation against a member of staff this morning so we've just been through that We've just reviewed it on CCTV footage, we've got the whole incident but Mr Drew was not within arm's reach of her at any time.
No, no problem, I took her seriously and, please ask her, I took her seriously, I take all accusations like that seriously, I've looked at the camera I've looked at the camera Crap! You couldn't even see us.
I've looked at the cameras all the way around and there was no contact at all.
Yep.
Obviously, she needs to come home and we'll see her in January.
Sorry.
All right, thanks a lot Bye.
Why would I lie about someone touching me? Why would I lie about someone touching me? There was no contact, Carmelita, he hadn't assaulted you in any way, you made a false accusation.
you made a false accusation.
Did I say he assaulted me? No.
That's what your mum said and that's all I can deal with.
Your mum's the adult in this situation, she would only react to what you say.
You can try to deflect from your unacceptable behaviour by making accusations against staff, however I will always look at them seriously because my job is to keep you safe.
I do feel I keep you safe and actually the unsafe person is you.
Your behaviour is unsafe.
If you make accusations against staff, their futures are on the line, their mortgages, their houses, their families and I don't accept that that can ever happen.
I'm disgusted.
You try and ruin somebody's life by doing that It's not good enough.
Go home.
I don't want to see you till January.
That's exactly what I just said.
What a morning.
I'm just going to sort out your tie, yeah? Crest below the knot Yeah? The head teacher peanutted you there, there you go.
Morning, ladies.
Afternoon, I mean.
You all right, Luke? Right Hello.
Hello.
It's hot in here, isn't it?.
Cameron, you've done your time, you can go now.
I thought I was doing an hour, sir?.
You were doing half an hour, you can go.
If I was you I'd just go.
You've got five more minutes to do but I need to talk to Mr Goddard.
If you want, you can come back later, do you want to do it later?.
If you want, you can come back later, do you want to do it later?.
Say, "No.
" No, sir.
No, sir.
Do you understand what I said yesterday? Yes.
Are you sorry? Yes.
Bye-bye.
See you later, Cam.
'Following an allegation against Mr Drew,' 'head teacher Mr Goddard has spoken to the pupil's mum.
' I phoned her up and said, "Just to let you know, "I've taken Carmelita's accusation of assault seriously.
"I've spoken to her, taken a statement, reviewed the footage "on CCTV and unfortunately, your daughter's lying.
" Well, fortunately.
Well, fortunately.
(LAUGHS) Cheers, mate.
Thanks! Cheers, mate.
Thanks! Unfortunately for her.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
What did she accuse you of? Pushing her.
It's funny, cos it came from grabbing her, through to pushing her, to, "He did that as I went past.
" I was like, "OK.
" 'It is a worry that there is always potential 'that some malicious allegation is going to cause problems,' but then, that could happen to anyone.
People lieyou know, children lie, adults lie, people lie.
And if you spend your entire life saying, "I'm never going "to put myself in a situation where someone can lie about me," then you're not going to do anything.
So, I'm not going to blame Carmelita for that She does the wrong thing, fine.
We move on.
She makes her apology eventually.
At the end of the day, she will finish with eight GCSEs.
We will be on our knees and need to sleep for the whole of August as a result, but she'll have passed it all.
I was almost delirious today, I couldn't be cross, I couldn't be angry, I couldn't be anything.
Do you know what Joe Els did yesterday? Which basically killed me at the end of the day.
Obviously, period five, I had to go and teach, and about 15 minutes later he turns up in I'm not sure who's - Becks Conway or Anna Fernando's lesson with one of those plastic cups, and what's he got in it?.
Some of my smoothie out of the fridge.
I knew you'd bloody laugh.
I was absolutely outraged! I was absolutely outraged! No, he hasn't! I tell you, of all the things that's happened in the last two days that's pissed me off more than anything.
Pissed me off! Oh, Drewy! That really did me in, that did.
'Steve is just,' what he does amazes me.
His work ethic, his passion, his willingness to be kicked and get back up.
'It's something that you can't really measure.
'He's remarkable.
' Nat, who's this for?.
Oh, you.
Nat, who's this for?.
Oh, you.
Oh, what luck! It's the final senior team meeting before Christmas.
Good idea, mate.
Wash and wax! And a chamois leather.
Did you ask for that?.
Yep.
LAUGHTER It's hardly secret, girls, is it?.
It's hardly a Secret Santa, is it?.
Someone's laughing already.
This is not a good sign.
(LAUGHS) (MR DREW) Oh, yes! (MR GODDARD) What is it, I can't see? It's a Designer Beaver.
It's a Designer Beaver.
A Designer Beaver?.
! These people run a school! These people run a school! # THE POGUES FT.
KIRSTY MACCOLL: Fai le Of New Yo Do a bit of that?.
# They've got cars big as bars # They've got rivers of gold # But the wind goes right through you # It's no place for the old # When you first took my hand # On a cold Christmas Eve # You promised me Broadway was waiting for me # 'I think one of the things that I believe about our school 'is that it is a happy place, 'it is a place where people come, 'it is a place where I think young people can feel safe, 'can feel trusted, feel believed 'and it's a school where we are prepared 'to do anything, to go to the next level and the next level and so on, 'in terms of what needs to be done.
' # And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day # 'I like young people, I find them interesting, I find them exciting, 'I find them invigorating.
' # You're a bum, you're a punk # You're an old slut on junk # 'I think it's so grotesquely hypocritical 'of adults in the modern age to say that young people today are worse.
'They're not worse, they're a product 'of what we as a society create, 'and they have less opportunity to be children.
# And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day # So, yes, it's hard work, but why is hard work a bad thing? Hard work is surely what makes people better.
So, yeah, it's hard work, but OK, good, thank you.
I like hard work.
# Da-da, da, da, da-da, # Da-da, da, da, da, da-da # Da-da, da, da, da, da # Da-da, da, da, da-da # Da-da, da, da, da-da # Whey! Thank you, everyone! Next week, a case of 21st century bullying She got texts last night saying, "We're watching.
You look lovely when you're asleep.
" It makes me upset, I've not done anything to him! Fat Boy! Fatty, fatty, boom boom! .
.
and something a bit more old school.
I wouldn't say I was a bully, I don't go out of my way to punch people I don't go out of my way to punch people Move it! .
.
any more.
I've got a parent who's apparently on her way down here to "sort you out.
" Oh, she can come if she wants.
I'll put her on her arse! Red Bee Media Ltd