That'll Teach 'Em
Encyclopedia
That'll Teach 'Em is a British reality television
documentary
series produced by Twenty Twenty Television for the Channel 4
network in the UK.
Each series follows around 30 teenage students as they are taken back to a 1950s style British boarding school
. The show sets out to analyse whether the standards that were integral to the school life of the time helped to produce better exam results, 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').
As part of the experience, the participants are expected to board at a traditional school house, abiding by strict discipline, adopting to 1950s diet and following a strict uniform
dress code.
After four weeks, the students then take their final exams, produced to the same standard as contemporary GCE
O Levels.
There have been three series of the show, the first airing in 2003 (recreating a 1950s grammar school and featuring academically high-achieving pupils), the second in 2004 (a secondary modern
and the academically average or poor) and the third and probably final series in 2006 (a grammar school again, this time focusing on science
and with single-sex classes).
For the third series, a spin-off series, That'll Test 'Em, aired on More4
after the main programme. That'll Test 'Em invites pupils and their parents which have featured in the That'll Teach 'Em episode
which has just aired to be quiz
zed on topics that they should know well after their time in 1950s education. The show is essentially a ‘parents versus children’ scenario.
The format has been adapted in France, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands and Chile. The international rights are distributed by DRG.
. It featured 15 boys and 15 girls who had just sat their GCSEs.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
series produced by Twenty Twenty Television for the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
network in the UK.
Each series follows around 30 teenage students as they are taken back to a 1950s style British boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. The show sets out to analyse whether the standards that were integral to the school life of the time helped to produce better exam results, 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').
As part of the experience, the participants are expected to board at a traditional school house, abiding by strict discipline, adopting to 1950s diet and following a strict uniform
School uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
dress code.
After four weeks, the students then take their final exams, produced to the same standard as contemporary GCE
General Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
O Levels.
There have been three series of the show, the first airing in 2003 (recreating a 1950s grammar school and featuring academically high-achieving pupils), the second in 2004 (a secondary modern
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
and the academically average or poor) and the third and probably final series in 2006 (a grammar school again, this time focusing on science
Science education
Science education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with individuals not traditionally considered part of the scientific community. The target individuals may be children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education comprises...
and with single-sex classes).
For the third series, a spin-off series, That'll Test 'Em, aired on More4
More4
More4 is a digital television channel, run by British broadcaster Channel 4, that launched on 10 October 2005. It is carried on Freeview, on satellite broadcasters Freesat and Sky, UK IPTV broadcaster TalkTalk TV and on UK cable network Virgin Media and in the Republic of Ireland cable networks...
after the main programme. That'll Test 'Em invites pupils and their parents which have featured in the That'll Teach 'Em episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
which has just aired to be quiz
Quiz
A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which the players attempt to answer questions correctly. In some countries, a quiz is also a brief assessment used in education and similar fields to measure growth in knowledge, abilities, and/or skills.Quizzes are usually scored in points and many...
zed on topics that they should know well after their time in 1950s education. The show is essentially a ‘parents versus children’ scenario.
The format has been adapted in France, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands and Chile. The international rights are distributed by DRG.
Series 1
The first series of the show was filmed over 4 weeks in June, 2003, at the RGS High WycombeRoyal Grammar School, High Wycombe
See Royal Grammar School for the other schools with the name RGS.The Royal Grammar School High Wycombe is a selective grammar school situated in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. As a state school it does not charge fees for students to attend, but they must pass an entrance exam...
. It featured 15 boys and 15 girls who had just sat their GCSEs.
| Boys | Girls |
|---|---|
| Harry Elgood | Clare Dery |
| Nic Hall | Seraphina Evans |
| Colum Hughes | Nichola Greenhalgh |
| Freddie Hutchins | Henrietta Haines |
| Tom Jewell | Victoria Julien |
| Richard Mylles | Hina Khan |
| Rajay Naik Rajay Naik Rajay Naik is a member of the Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance. He is a former Chairman of the British Youth Council. He attended Blue Coat School as a Howard Crawshaw scholar.-References:... |
Kathryn McGeough |
| Blaine Pike | Holly McGuire |
| Ryan Smithson | Emma Pinchbeck |
| Andrew Stratton | Harriet Rykens |
| Matthew Sweeney | Hannah Smith |
| Ali Unwin | Frances Weaver |
| Simon Waller | Tarot Wells |
| Andy Walne | Rebecca Woodward |
Trivia
- The first and secondSecondThe second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
seriesTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
of the programme were filmed at the Royal Grammar School, High WycombeRoyal Grammar School, High WycombeSee Royal Grammar School for the other schools with the name RGS.The Royal Grammar School High Wycombe is a selective grammar school situated in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. As a state school it does not charge fees for students to attend, but they must pass an entrance exam...
http://www.rgshw.com.