The King Edward VII Comprehensive School in Ashford, Kent.
Every morning, 1,200 mostly mixed-sex children
between the ages of 11 and 18 pass between these gates,
together with 130 teaching and administrative staff
between the ages of 24 and 70.
She was in the pub all lunchtime, came back and was sick then passed out.
0h, dear. Shirley, perhaps you'd talk to her.
- I'll certainly try. - It sets a bad example to the kids.
- Good point. - It's Sheila, by the way.
Stuart Simmons has been headmaster here for three years.
He was deputy head for nine years
and was promoted due to the previous head's stroke,
before becoming permanent gradually.
Right, the Pope case. Stella, any news?
His working day has already started with an 8. 15 briefing
with his deputies, Graham Atkinson and Sheila Howe.
...they'll be coming in this lunchtime. - Are they reasonable people?
- The father's a QC. - I see.
An IC, is it?
- What about the boy himself? - We've got him back into his trousers.
The preliminary rounds in the day are already being fired.
- Emma? - Yes!
- Emma? - Yes, Miss!
- Emma? - Miss!
- Emma? - Yes!
- Emma? - Miss.
(STUART) When you first start, the responsibility is daunting.
Here in my office everything seems quiet,
but how can I know what's going on out there?
Yes. You could go and have a look?
- Exactly, exactly. - And just walk around?
But seriously, you see my point.
(INTERC0M BUZZES)
- Yes? - Mr Simmons, Mrs Simmons for you.
- I'm rather busy. Take a message. - Yes, so...
- From her! A message from her! - From her. From her.
I've got that. Who shall I give that to?
Educationalists are thinking seriously about the value of assemblies.
Stuart Simmons isn't.
Each year group meets once a week, .
Assemblies are based around a key word. Today it's Year 11.
My view is that assemblies are useful for establishing the ethos of a school.
- Why are they called the 11th Year? - Year 11 not 11th Year.
When we were at school, it was the 4th Year.
But these days they're taller?
It's complicated. It's the total number of years in education.
I see. So the first year in primary school is Year 1?
- Yes. Exactly. - Right. Right.
- We're ready. - Thank you, Shirley.
- What? - Nothing.
- What are you doing with your fingers? - Nothing.
Surely children in 4th Year have been in education for ten years.
Not eleven.
Before we begin, a note from Mr Ellis.
The Problem Solving Club will meet in the private room on the fifth floor
of the humanities block, but you're not allowed to use the stairs.
Now, the word "intercourse" comes from the Latin "inter",
meaning "between", and "cursum", to run.
But it doesn't just mean the way we run between each other.
Although these 11-year-olds look older,
Stuart believes that behind the cynical faces lies fertile soil.
Most of you can see the connection between it
and last week's key word, "reproduction",
which took us some way from our starting point of "furniture".
...Jane Waterford at 3.00.
- And June at 6.00. - That's the date.
Back in his office, Stuart's secretary talks him through the day ahead,
which looks full and challenging.
- And the Popes are coming in at 1.00. - A full and challenging day ahead.
You don't have to be working here to help, but it's mad.
- Shall I make some phone calls? - That's a good idea.
Someone's parked in front of the minibus shed.
- Who's the owner? - A Greg Nissan.
- Greg Nissan? Do we know him? - It must be a visitor.
- There's a field trip due to leave. - How can people be so stupid?
It's got "Keep Clear" on the doors. Get some strong students to move it.
- I don't know. It's a big... - I think it might be mine.
- You're Greg Nissan? - No. It's G reg, Nissan.
Reg Nissan? I've got Greg here.
I'm called Roy Mallard, and I've got a G reg Nissan.
- I'm getting this now. - It's a Nissan Sunny.
Sorry, there weren't any spaces.
It's a while since anyone called me "Sonny".
I've seen people come and go.
The old headmaster, you knew where you were with him.
Yeah, he was a nutcase.
With morning lessons started, another day in the life of the school has begun.
Emma, ¿qué deporte practicas?
¿Qué deporte practicas?
Er... oui.
Hamlet is depressed and upset because his father has died,
and his mother has remarried his Uncle Claudius.
So how has Hamlet's father died? Can you remember?
- Was he murdered? - Yes, that's right! He was.
And who murdered him?
- Do you know the answer? - Pretend I'm not here.
- But do you know the answer? - Obviously.
Who was it, then?
Well, it was... Edmund.
- (PUPIL) Sir, can I go to the toilet? - No!
Estoy a favor de los derechos de los animales.
Excelente, excelente, Kevin. Bien.
Estás a favor de los derechos de los animales. ¿ Y por qué, Kevin?
¿Por qué?
¿Por qué estás a favor de los derechos de los animales?
Why?
Enchiladas.
And for homework, draw a diagram of a Sea of Troubles!
(KIDS SH0UTING)
Morning break is a brief time-out from the serious business of education.
But in the staff room, this isn't just any other day.
There are interviews for a new post, and two of the candidates are internal.
David Lawrence, who teaches geography, and Jane Waterford, head of history.
One of them will be the new head of humanities. Or neither of them.
- What would success today mean? - Being head of humanities.
- And your current role is? - Second in geography.
- Second at what? - Just second.
Wouldn't this new job take you out of the classroom away from teaching?
Yes.
I was a bit nervous a few days ago.
If I get it, I get it. If I don't, I don't. It's only a job.
I'm looking forward to it now. What have I got to lose?
- Does it take 2p pieces? - Yeah.
There's more to life than working.
- It might be quicker to use a 50p. - 0K, have you got one?
I don't usually drink coffee, it makes me a bit... you know?
Have you got one or not?
- You've got pound coins there. - I need them for the parking meter.
Right, thanks.
You've got to get your priorities right.
- It doesn't give change? - No.
A job's a job's a job's a job.
What qualities are you looking for in a candidate?
Someone who's experienced, committed to pupil-centred teaching,
with a grasp of volleyball rules.
Pupil-centred teaching, what is that exactly?
- What is it? - Yes.
It's the opposite of teacher-centred learning.
I see.
- You don't play volleyball? - Not really.
He has got a difficult job. It's not easy being a headmaster.
- (SCREAMS) - That's good, Linda! And break off!
You've got parent power, league tables, God knows what!
Whatever you do, you're bound to upset someone.
- (SCREAMS) - Kevin, you've got knees, use them!
It's all very well to criticise, but someone's got to make decisions.
All these women that have appeared from everywhere,
I'd like to see them try it.
- You've never had ambitions? - Andy, that's ace, son!
You've never wanted to be a headmaster yourself?
God, no! I could never do it. I'd have a nervous breakdown.
- Because it's all so high profile? - And 'cause I've had two already.
Meanwhile, Graham and Serena are back for their second meeting.
There should be some reference to the kids.
Good point.
They're drafting a new mission statement,
as required by law, for submission to the governors.
What about "To Seek, To Ensure"?
Yes. Good. I like that.
"To ensure that...
- "...that each pupil shall develop." - That's good.
"Shall develop?"
Let's leave it at that, it's punchy.
- I think it's a bit... - A bit general?
No. A bit risky.
- A lot of them don't develop. - Yes. Good point.
The fun's gone out of the job. Everything's quantified, measured.
Records of achievement, operational plans. I'm married now as well, so...
With all this talk about educational standards, do you think they've improved?
Yeah, most definitely.
- What do you use to measure them? - A tape measure.
0K, that's good and breathe out!
- What about "Shall maximise"? - That is good.
Right. So "Shall maximise their..."
- "...their options". - That's terribly good!
I'm not sure. What about kids with no options?
- Good point. - Yes.
- "Their potential"? - Same problem. Guy Pope, for instance.
- "0ptimal"? - Yes.
Yes.
"Shall maximise their optimal... what?"
"Potentiality"?
- Yeah. - Yes.
- Has anyone been writing this down? - I have.
Good.
I always say, "If something's meant to be, it's meant to be." Is it very hot in here?
Jane and David have been given the morning off
in order to prepare for the interviews after lunch.
Does being a woman work in your favour?
Is it an advantage when applying for a post like this or a disadvantage?
Yes, I do.
- Sorry. I'm a bit, you know? - This job's important to you.
It's a key role in the school, and in personal terms I really need it.
Interesting. Are you at an age where if it doesn't happen now it never will?
Although it might, of course.
Because you can never...
Hil
- This is our operational plan for next year. - Operational plan?
It contains clear targets for every area against which we assess our performance.
If I open a page at random...
No, not that one.
I'm not sure of this. Yes, here we are.
This tells us that our target is to increase by 15%
the proportion of pupils who achieve more than four GCSE passes.
- How many achieved that last year? - 97%.
- Your target is to increase that by 15%? - Yes. 15%. Correct.
Right. That's very ambitious.
It is, yes, but that's the world we live in!
But if you increase 97% by 15%, that's more than...
15% of 97% is three fifths, isn't it?
If you call 15 one point five, then you...
It's actually more than 100%.
Yes!
We may have to increase our numbers to achieve that.
0ur philosophy is: "Aim high".
People don't think about this, see? They don't realise.
What do you mean by ambitious?
I've been here for three years. That's too long.
- How long have you been with? - The BBC.
Really? I don't know how long you've been with them...
- 17 years. - Right.
But if you want to get from A to B,
you have to go through all the points in between.
Right. That's good.
The school has to operate a compressed day due to shortage of space,
and lunchtimes are particularly crowded.
- Is it a good school? - It's all right.
- Do you like the teachers? - They're all right.
- What about the headmaster? - He's all right.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A gynaecologist.
I don't like homework, it's impossible.
I don't like it when they put animals in lorries.
- Also I don't like fat people. - Well...
Have you met the headmaster?
Like face to face? No, I haven't.
- Have you met Anthea Turner? - No.
For Stuart, there's no time for lunch.
I've Mr and Mrs Pope with me. They don't want any tea or coffee.
- Would you like to come through? - Thank you.
In the era of parent power,
the meeting with Guy's parents has to be handled carefully.
He's a difficult child and has been frequently suspended,
most recently for photocopying his genitals during lessons.
I've just been told that Guy's tutor is unable to leave the biology lab.
It seems that someone has set fire to his locusts.
Which brings us quite neatly onto the question
of Guy's overall approach to life here with us.
Anna Priestley, the external candidate for the humanities post, has arrived.
I've always thought it makes more sense to think horizontally across the curriculum.
She's joined her fellow rivals for an informal lunch,
hosted by deputy head, Graham Atkinson.
...as opposed to thinking vertically in subject-specific terms,
when it comes to strategic planning.
Do you play volleyball socially?
This file tells me that of the ten staff currently teaching Guy
seven of them regard him as a damaging influence to other pupils.
I see. What about the other three?
They think so, too. Sorry. I was trying to break it to you gently.
I'm not very good, but I enjoy it. It's good fun.
Also, I'm social secretary for the club, so I have to run the school team.
I don't mind really, it gives me a different take on the kids,
which is really useful to take back into the classroom.
Hmm. It's lovely pizza.
Not bad, is it?
I can't say that any of this is much of a surprise.
Stuart agrees with the Popes that Guy's case should be tackled in stages.
We wondered whether to take him out of the private system.
- He was so happy at Lancing. - He was always running away.
He used to enjoy running away.
Initially, he is to be kept under supervision at break times,
before visiting an educational psychologist and finally being expelled.
The key thing to reiterate is our concern about what's best for Guy.
Absolutely. But then again, he is only one of 1,200 children.
Good grief! I didn't know that!
- Here in your school, I mean. - 0h, I see! Yes! Good point.
Meanwhile, for those in interviews, ground zero is getting closer.
(DAVID) If I don't get it, I'll leave. It'll be a good catalyst.
What about the external candidate?
I wish her all the best. Good luck to her.
Why she's applying to a dump like this, I don't know!
No, no, she seems very nice. Nice sort of...
She's got a lot of...
She's very... erm...
In teacher-centred learning, the teacher owns the knowledge,
and he stands at the front, tells them the correct answers,
and they copy and learn them, which is obviously no good.
Whereas in pupil-centred teaching,
the pupils actually own the ownership of their own knowledge.
They don't need any other knowledge?
They sit in groups and interview each other,
then they cut out things from magazines, draw graphs,
so they can establish that they don't know what the questions are.
- What does the teacher do? - He hands out the glue.
There's a lot happening today. I have to grab whatever I can for lunch.
- Is that unusual? - It's banana and vanilla.
In Stuart's office, the interviews have begun, and David's first.
Come on through, David.
You probably know everybody. He doesn't want to go to the toilet.
Stuart's been joined by the chairman of the school's governing body.
- You know Bob Stammers, don't you? - No, I didn't.
Interesting. My sister had a harelip.
- It's Stallers, actually. - 0h, Stathers, yes.
- Hello, David. Good to see you. - Hello.
My sister really did have a harelip. She's all right now.
(STUART) David, would you like to take a seat?
All the other candidates can do is simply wait for each other's turn.
- What time is your interview? - 2.00.
- 2.00? But it's... - 0K, 3.00. 3.30.
Right. So you're the last, then? How do you feel about that?
If I'd a choice I'd have gone first, but I'm always last 'cause of my surname.
- What is your surname? - What is it?
This is silly, I know this.
- How did it go? - Fine. I enjoyed it.
- You're confident? - Yeah.
Now it's over, would you still leave?
- Just piss off! - Fair enough. Goodbye.
I bet they asked about volleyball. How many in a side? Do you play?
Not particularly, no. Presumably they've told you what things they're looking for.
What? What sort of things? You know, don't you?
You know! What have they told you?
I'm sure they won't try to trip you up.
They'll ask about... learning-centred pupil teaching.
What?
0nce I get in there, I'll be 0K. It's the sitting and waiting that's hard.
- You have a strategy? - No.
- You'll wait, see what they ask? - Yes.
- When you first? - I should go in now.
Good luck. It's not how you say it, it's the way you... Right.
- What does the teacher do, then? - Hands out the glue.
You said they owned their own glue. Isn't that the whole point?
They... He... When...
Sorry. I don't know. I have to nip out.
0K, I'll write this down. Learning-centred teacher-pupils.
I'll write it on my hand. Can I borrow your pen?
Teacher-centred learner-pupils.
The key thing is just to relax. Just to relax and be yourself.
- Sorry, I can't talk while writing. - Right. Sorry.
Pupil... Pupil-centred.
Right. 0K. Sorry about that. I needed to concentrate.
- I don't think it'll work though. - It's just back-up. It's psychological.
But it's my hand.
By 3.30, the teaching and learning day has come to an end.
But in Stuart's office, Jane's moment of truth has started to begin.
Volleyball is a team game,
which means it's really about socialisation and negotiation skills,
as well as volleying obviously.
Because however good you are on the pitch,
you're only as good as the other nine others.
0thers.
Jane, moving into the classroom and onto the process of teaching itself,
are there any particular methodologies you'd like to see across the curriculum?
Yes.
What would they be?
I've always been very keen on learning.
Learning. Er... pupil... Sorry.
I've always been very keen on pupil-teaching learner centres.
(GRUNTS BEHIND CAMERA)
- You all right? - I'm fine, thanks. Sorry.
So how would you see that working exactly, Jane?
Yeah, probably in the normal way.
Initially.
(B0B) Talk us through it, if you wouldn't mind.
Right.
In the outside world outside, lessons have finished and the pupils have gone home,
with the exception of those still here.
(PAST0RAL MUSIC)
...so the pupils can discover for themselves what they're talking about
by means of the graphs obviously,
which they also glue together,
so that throughout the whole process they own their own ownership
of all their own things.
(B0B) Good. Thank you, Jane.
(STUART) What's the matter with him? (MAN) His car's on a meter.
By 5.00, a new head of humanities has been appointed.
I'm pleased to have got the job.
You have to go on your gut feeling, but I got a good feeling of the place.
Now it's all over, there's time to reflect.
- So, yes, it's a big day for me. - Oohl
- What? - Nothing.
It's the start of a new chapter, new place, new people,
and I don't know what's going to be written in it, it's exciting.
What convinced you that she was the right woman over David and Jane?
Firstly, David's not a woman.
But the general feeling was she had clear ideas about where she was going.
Whereas both Janice and David at different points broke down in tears.
This could have a damaging effect on their morale?
Very good point.
Is there anything you can do to reassure them?
I'll be seeing them both in the next few days.
Right. Is there anything you can do to reassure them?
I'll point out that they both gained very valuable interview experience.
Although they've gained experience at failing interviews.
Exactly, yes. I think that'll be useful to them both in the future.
I'm looking forward to the challenge. 0ne should make changes in life.
To remind yourself you exist, you know?
When you start to feel comfortable in life, that's the time to change.
- Are you all right? - Sorry, I don't want to interrupt...
I just wanted to say congratulations. Well done.
0h, thanks. That's really nice of you.
- I know how you must be feeling. - Some you lose, some you lose.
Jane, now it's over, do you feel? Oohl
- Sorry. - That's all right, really.
The job of a headmaster carries an undeniable weight of responsibility
but very little of the glamour, status or financial reward,
that goes with other senior positions such as fashion designing,
film stunt work or arms dealing.
But luckily for people like us, there are people like Stuart,
for whom knowing their job is worthwhile is the only knowledge they need.
I've always thought of a school like this as an orchestra.
I'm the conductor, and my staff are the musicians,
each with their own different contribution to the music.
So you select an appropriate score and decide how the score can be interpreted.
My job is to stand at the front and wave that... that thing...
- The baton. - Yes, exactly.
- What about the children? - Pardon.
Where do they come in your analogy?
- Sorry, music's not really my field. - Right.
- I'm an educationalist, first and foremost. - Yes, of course.