VIDEO: School to star in hit TV series next month

Staff and pupils from Thornhill Community Academy will star in eight-part documentary series Educating Yorkshire, the follow-up to the BAFTA award-winning Educating Essex.

Filming began in January at the school in Valley Drive – lasting for seven weeks and producing 2000 hours of footage.

Crews put 64 fixed cameras throughout the site, covering everywhere from the corridors to the canteen, the headteacher’s office to the playground.

The programme follows the work of Headteacher Jonny Mitchell, himself born and raised in the area, to better the chances for his students and build on successive years of improving exam results.

Mr Mitchell said: “I’d walked into this school not long before the approach was made for schools to be involved in this and I thought the school had an awful lot to shout about – and that it was on an upward trajectory.

“I thought we could present ourselves as a really positive role model for others in education and others outside. The other main reason was our location. Dewsbury has suffered quite a lot in the last ten or 15 years with some adverse press. I thought this was an opportunity for us to show the positive side of the town as well.

“And the third reason is – I think the kids are brilliant – I think they deserve to experience something a little bit different.”

The first episode hits screens on September 5 at 9pm on Channel 4.

Watch a trailer for the series here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NQGPVv1wDU