That'll Teach 'Em

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That'll Teach 'Em
Also known asThat'll Teach 'Em Too (2004)
That'll Teach 'Em: Boys Versus Girls (2005-06)
Genre Documentary series
Reality TV Show
Created bySimon Rockell [1]
Narrated by John Sessions (Series 1)
Paul McGann (Series 2)
Richard E. Grant (Series 3)
Composer Daniel Pemberton
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes15
Production
Running time60 minutes (including advertisements)
Production company Twenty Twenty
Original release
Network Channel 4
Release5 August 2003 (2003-08-05) –
2 May 2006 (2006-05-02)

That'll Teach 'Em is a British historical reality documentary series produced by Twenty Twenty Television for the Channel 4 network in the United Kingdom.

Contents

Concept

Each series follows around 30 teenage students who have recently completed their GCSEs as they are taken back to a 1950s/1960s style British boarding school. The show sets out to analyse whether the standards that were integral to the school life of the time could help to produce better exam results, when compared to the current GCSE results and to compare certain contemporary educational methods with modern ones (e.g. vocational vs. academic focus for the less "gifted"). [1]

As part of the experience, the participants are expected to board at a traditional school house, abiding by strict discipline, adopting to 1950s/1960s diet and following a strict uniform dress code, the only difference being the absence of corporal punishment as it was made illegal in all state schools in Britain in 1986, and in all private schools in England and Wales in 1998. Because of that, other strict punishments, most notably writing lines and essays and holding up heavy items for a certain amount of time were used instead. Throughout the series, a number of students have either been expelled for misconduct, or have chosen to leave the school voluntarily. [2]

After four weeks, the students then take their final exams, produced to the same standard as contemporary GCE O Levels and CSEs.

There were three series of the show, the first airing in August 2003 (recreating a 1950s grammar school and featuring academically high-achieving pupils), [2] the second in August 2004 (a 1960s secondary modern and the pupils academically average or poor) [3] and the third and final series in April 2006 (a 1950s grammar school with high-achieving pupils again, this time focusing on practical sciences and with single-sex classes).

Series overview

Series 1 (2003)

The first series of the show was filmed over 4 weeks in July and August 2003, at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. It featured 15 boys and 15 girls who had just sat their GCSEs and mostly did well, though some failed. The school was branded as 'King's School'. [2]

Known TeachersSubject
Mr Andrew MacTavishHeadmaster
Mr Tony PerryDeputy Head/Housemaster/Science
Ms Pat CroweMatron/Housemistress
Mr Peter DaplynGym/Disciplinarian/Shower-Master
Mr Geoffrey HeathMusic
Dr Elizabeth PidouxEnglish/Housemistress
Mr Simon RockellHistory
Mr Austin Vince Mathematics/CCF (Combined Cadet Force)
Mr Simon Warr Latin/French
BoysGirls
Harry ElgoodClare Dery
Nic HallSeraphina Evans
Colum HughesNichola Greenhalgh
Freddie HutchinsHenrietta Haines
Tom JewellVictoria Julien
Richard MyllesHina Khan
Rajay NaikKathryn McGeough (Head Girl)
Blaine PikeHolly McGuire
Ryan SmithsonEmma Pinchbeck
Andrew Stratton (Head Boy)Harriet Rykens
Matthew SweeneyHannah Smith
Ali UnwinFrances Weaver
Simon WallerTarot Wells
Andy WalneRebecca Woodward
Joe McCreadyNadia Freeman

Joe McCready was expelled during the series for persistent bad behaviour and disrespect. In episode 3, Nadia Freeman chose to leave the school voluntarily due to the food. In the fourth episode, Mr Perry served as acting headmaster owing to Mr MacTavish being unwell at the time.

Series 2 (2004)

The second series of the show, called That'll Teach 'Em Too, was also filmed at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe in August 2004 [4] and was known as 'Hope Green Secondary Modern' [3] This was the only series set in the 1960s.

Known TeachersSubject
Mr Richard FawcettHeadmaster/Geography
Mr Maurice PirotteDeputy Head/Housemaster/Rural Science
Miss Jeanette GibsonEnglish/Housemistress/Pianist
Mr Lee AustinGym/Disciplinarian
Mr Andre BakerWrestling
Mr BarnesChief Examiner/Test Tutor
Ms Pat CroweMatron/Housemistress
Ms Jackie DunnNeedlework
Ms Janet FahertyDance
Mr Neil GarnerGuitarist/Music
Miss Kirby-JonesHome Economics Examiner
Mrs Cherilyn Lloyd-JonesDomestic Science/Home Economics/Cookery
Mr John NosworthyBricklaying
Mr Francis PeacockHistory and Tutor
Mr Thomas SmithWoodwork
Mr Austin Vince Mathematics/Automotive/Scouts/Tutor
Mrs Cornelia WelhamTouch Typing/Religious Studies
BoysGirls
Perry Goyen (Head Boy)Stevie Harman (Head Girl)
Ben BarberEmily Apari
Andrew BrownHannah Benjamin
Josh DavisCharlotte Difone
Adam DoyleAvril Hardy
Daniel GallagherNikki Hollingworth
Luke GrahamMaureen Islam
Harvey HerdmanRosie Knight
Christopher HobinKasi Kulon
Shina OniwindeCharlotte Neild
Alex RobertsSara Roadknight
Harry RoweErin Tate
Franklin De SantiHolly
Lewis DavisAliss Hadley
Sophia Madisonte

Sophia chose to leave the school voluntarily due to her poor behaviour. Though it was never shown, Aliss Hadley, Lewis Davis and Holly left as well for undisclosed reasons. This was the only series in which no students were expelled. Most students only passed 1 CSE. Like Series 1, 15 boys and 15 girls entered the school at the start, and 26 finished.

Series 3 (2005–06)

Series 3 was filmed during August 2005 at St Joseph's College in Ipswich, and broadcast during the following April. The series returned to the setting of a 1950s grammar school. The school was branded as 'Charles Darwin Grammar' and focused predominately on practical sciences. It also experimented with boys and girls being taught separately. [5] The languages teacher in series 1, Simon Warr, took on the role of headmaster in Series 3. [6] [7]

Known TeachersSubject
Mr Simon 'S.R.' Warr Headmaster/Classical civilisation
Mr James WilliamsDeputy Head/Housemaster/Biology
Miss Jeanette GibsonEnglish
Mr David Stanley [8] Music/Tutor/Disciplinarian
Dr Andrew Szydlo Chemistry
Dr Peter WildePhysics/Housemaster
Miss Anabelle BryantHousemistress/Gym (Girls)
Miss CarterMathematics/Tutor/Housemistress
Ms Pat CroweMatron/Disciplinarian
Mr TommsGym (Boys)
Sgt AllenCCF (Combined Cadet Force)
Mrs TurnerLaboratory Assistant
BoysGirls
Rob Hudson (Head Boy)Victoria Buxton (first Head Girl)
Nathan AnidugbeSally Rushton (second Head Girl)
Philip DonaldJessica Boulton
Hugh GilroyFrancesca Bruce
Brennon GunstonAnna Clift
Chris HedleyHollie Dearman
William HoKayleigh Durman
James IngramAmy Jampa-Ngoen
Sebastian JeffordRuby Lally
John KempleRosie Morton
Luke MillsJenny Ritzman
Scott PetersCorrine Stewart
Michael PetkovMeng-Yuan Sun
Qadeer RazaqueAshleigh Walters
Joe SeathEmily Williams
Simon TaylorSamantha Wyvill

Scott Peters was expelled during the series for persistent bad behaviour and disrespect, and Brennon Gunston, Rosie Morton and Amy Jampa-Ngoen chose to leave the school voluntarily, although Mr Warr gave Amy his explicit blessing to leave due to her poor conduct record. After failing to stop some girls from using the telephone in the laundry room, Victoria Buxton was forced to step down from her position as Head Girl, and her role was filled by Sally Rushton. In addition, Brennon Gunston and Rosie Morton were replaced with Joe Seath and Francesca Bruce respectively. In the academic competition between the girls and the boys, the girls won overall, and most students only managed to pass one O Level.

That'll Test 'Em

For the third series, a spin-off series, That'll Test 'Em, aired on More4 after the main programme. It saw pupils featured in the That'll Teach 'Em episode just aired being quizzed in competition with their parents on topics that they should have known well after their time in 1950s/1960s education.

International versions

The format from the series has been adapted in eight countries: France, Spain, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands and Russia. The international rights are distributed by DRG.

CountryTitleTV channel(s)SeasonsDistribution
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
(original format)		That'll Teach 'Em Channel 4 3
  • 5 August 2003 – 2 September 2003
  • 24 August 2004 – 21 September 2004
  • 4 April 2006 – 2 May 2006
Flag of France.svg  France Le Pensionnat M6 3
  • 2 September 2004 – 7 October 2004
  • 1 September 2005 – 13 October 2005
  • 30 September 2013 – 21 October 2013
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Internatet TV Norge 1
  • 14 September 2005 – 16 November 2005
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Feriekolonien TVNorge 1
  • 11 January 2007 – 15 March 2007
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium (Flanders)De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig SBS
VT4		3
  • November 2006
  • 11 October 2007
  • 2008
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium (Flanders)Dat Zal Ze Leren! VTM 1
  • 23 March 2011 – 18 May 2011
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Dat Zal Ze Leren! RTL 5 1
  • 4 September 2006 – 30 October 2006
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Curso del 63
Curso del 73		 Antena 3
neox 		2
  • 6 October 2009 – 10 November 2009
  • 2 September 2012 – 30 September 2012
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Die harte Schule der 50er Jahre ZDF 1
  • 19 May 2005 – 9 June 2005
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Das Internat – Schule wie vor 50 Jahren SF DRS 1
  • 25 July 2005 – 15 August 2005
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Il collegio Rai 2 8
  • 2 January 2017 – 13 January 2017
  • 26 September 2017 – 17 October 2017
  • 12 February 2019 – 12 March 2019
  • 22 October 2019 – 26 November 2019
  • 27 October 2020 – 15 December 2020
  • 26 October 2021 – 14 December 2021
  • 18 October 2022 – 29 November 2022
  • 24 September 2023 – 5 November 2023
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Колледж
Kolledzh		 STS 1
  • 15 March 2021 – 12 May 2021

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References

  1. 1 2 Shaw, Michael (5 March 2004). "That'll teach 'em about the Sixties". Times Educational Supplement. London. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Webb, James (29 August 2003). "Behind the scenes at That'll Teach 'Em". Bucks Free Press. High Wycombe. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  3. 1 2 Garner, Richard (17 September 2011). "Pupils learn about Sixties education the hard way". The Independent. London. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  4. ↑ Shaw, Michael (13 August 2004). "Days of chalk and sideburns". Times Education Supplement. London. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Aldred, Jessica (6 April 2006). "Is there a real lesson here?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  6. ↑ Slater, Jack (22 February 2020). "Simon Warr's career from Channel 4's That'll Teach 'Em to Presumed Guilty". Metro . London. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Geater, Paul (22 February 2020). "Suffolk broadcaster Simon Warr has died". East Anglian Daily Times . Ipswich. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "David Stanley". The Music Man Project UK. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
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