Love Is in the Air Our School

'Each September, half a million children begin the most

'important year of school so far...

'..Year Seven.

'CBBC have rigged this secondary school with loads of cameras

'so you can see exactly what happens...

'..as they make new friends and get into trouble.'

If you wish to find out how strict I can be,

then break the rules I set down.

I'm not spotting make-up there, am I?

'But what they learn here

'will stay with them forever.'

Hello there, I'm Mr Thoburn and I'm a science teacher here.

'If you've ever wondered what secondary school's like,

'here's your chance to find out.

'This is Our School.'

How can you do that?

Conyer's School in Stockton-on-Tees, where 221 new

Year Sevens will be spending the next five years of their lives.

This time, we're following...

..as our boys and girls make their way through the first weeks of term.

It's tutor time and there's a hot topic up for debate -

who's better, boys or girls?

We don't cry as much.

SOME BOOING

Says you, saddo!

The boys act cool because they want to,

cos they want everyone to think they're awesome.

And they want attention.

We are responsible, we can give birth,

and boys are dumb and girls are smart.

-They're a bit cuckoo.

-I know they are.

-They're a bit, like, crazy, some of them.

-Yeah.

(Some of them are psychos.)

That's a bit harsh, Kyran.

Listen, gi-i-irls...

boys are better,

cos they don't have to go through the pain of giving birth.

LAUGHTER

OK. Like, yeah.

Go on, then, Lucy, what are you going to say against that?

At least we have the decency not to mention things like that.

You tell them, Lucy. I wonder what Jess has to say.

Girls are pretty, girls are funny, girls get to wear make-up

and boys are always wanting to show off.

So do you.

Hang on, she's not finished yet, lads.

Say what's on the back - boys are gross.

OOHING AND AAHING

Oh, that's done it.

I think girls

care more about their appearance

so they talk more about that.

You're not having a dance off.

Boys are just into their football, girls don't like that,

so we're just like, "Oh, bye then."

And then we all like shopping and boys will say, "Oh, for God's sake."

So we...

I think we do clash sometimes.

We have better fashion sense.

Oh, snap! Oh, snap.

-We are better at...

-Oh, snap.

The boys just go on and on

and on and on about football.

They don't go on anything about

boyfriend and girlfriends,

they just stay on one topic, it's so boring.

We don't fuss about everything.

Like our...like our hair,

how we look and stuff, stupid stuff like that.

Not all Year Seven girls are like that, Nathan - meet Milina.

Girls can fight and stick up for ourselves,

and don't argue about that cos I can kill!

I can kill.

I do a lot of karate, I train about three to four times a week.

I'm at my black belt and I have a grading for my next belt.

I want to be a ninja and sensei cos it would just be really cool.

I enjoy climbing trees cos it gives you something to do

and it's, like, quite challenging.

And it's like an obstacle course, but you can go any time you want.

I like playing football.

I'm OK, I can kick the ball.

CHEERING

For boys and girls, starting secondary school is a huge step,

which can make you feel more grown up in lots of ways.

Oh, no, who's going out with who?

Amy is. Amy and that guy.

That guy?

One day, there's no relationships going on, like, all...

everyone's on level terms. And the next day, I just

find out about all these relationships!

He said he would love to snog you.

Ew!

Do you really like him? Do you not like Max?

Cos someone's told me that you like Max. No, that he likes you.

It's like the big news if there's somebody going out with each other.

Oh, lovey-dovey...

'Kyran told Yassaman'

that he likes Libby.

Really?

Oh, my God, ohh.

Some girls in Year Seven are just like,

"Oh have you seen that boy? Oh, I fancy him. Oh, oh, uh, uh..."

-Chatty, chatty.

-They shout at you, they're like,

when you're like walking past them and...

If they're shouting at you, it means they fancy you.

All they're on about, like, "Oh, boys..."

-Like Georgia in primary school.

-"Oh, boys. "Oh, I love you."

Pack it in now, I swear I got...

Amy and Ben, sitting in a tree.

It's not Ben, that's the problem, it's Lucas.

Well, Ben, Ben, Amy and Ben.

I don't want a girlfriend.

I don't see the point anymore,

just, just annoying.

Right, come on, let's go find Tibby. We need to find Kyran.

She wants to go out with him.

Some of them in the playground ask other people out in Year Seven,

and I think it's just disgusting, till I get a bit older.

So not everyone is interested in romance,

but only a few days into term, and Libby has started to play

matchmaker for her mates. And in my science lesson, too.

Cargo. I mean Cargal.

Do you want to go out with her?

She's really nice for you.

You're such a good couple.

For Libby, Year Seven so far has been about making friends

and looking good.

Fashion is important to me when I'm hanging out with my friends.

I prefer to wear nice, fashionable clothes, instead of wearing,

you know, stuff that's really, really, really out of fashion.

Seen them shoes? I love 'em.

Probably got about 12 pairs of shoes or something,

I really don't know.

Shoes, oh, shoes.

They're ridiculous.

Oh, my God.

I do think it's good to look good, though,

because I think it shows that you take care of your appearance

and you take care of yourself and stuff, so...

And if I was to have a boyfriend, then I want him to be nice

and then nice to my friends as well, and to be good,

but like not a really, really goodie boy,

and to be into their sport.

Hm, that's quite a wish list, Libby, who could possibly live up to that?

Who do you think I'd be a good match for?

-Alfie?

-No.

You're both blonde.

Oh, yeah, well, that makes a difference,

we're both blondes so I'm just going to go out with a blonde guy(!)

I think... You know when, like, you're friends with boys

and then you get along really well, I think some girls just

really liked a boy and then they wanted to go out with them.

And then word gets around so easily

and then some people will just go and ask that boy out and then,

they'll be like, "Yeah, yeah, OK." And it just happens like that.

The girls are still gossiping about who fancies who.

Even karate kid Milina's getting involved.

-Who do you like in this class the most?

-Who do you like?

-I don't like anyone.

-Or you can tell me.

Do you, do you?

No.

That's not very convincing.

Ow, ow, bye.

Libby's not giving anything away,

but in fact, there is one Year Seven boy who's causing quite a stir.

Tom.

Tom. SHE LAUGHS

Don't you, I kept, I kept a secret that I liked Tom and now...

No, we were round the table in History, right?

And we're like, "Oh, Tom, who do you like?

"Who do you like?" And he went, "Oh, I'm not telling you."

-And...

-He's good looking.

I've known him from when we were little.

My brother and his brother were in the same thing for rugby

so I used to see him then.

The amount of girls that are all like, "Oh, Thomas, I love you."

They're all like that.

I don't...you know, I don't...I don't know why.

Thomas rejects most girls, though.

I know, he's been asked out by...is it five or six?

He rejected Stephanie straightaway, Catherine straightaway.

He ate her chocolates and then said no, it was on Valentine's Day.

THEY LAUGH

And she gave him a card and chocolates.

He ate the chocolates and then said no.

And they say romance is dead.

So let's hear what Thomas thinks about being the class heart-throb.

It's something I'm not really that interested in.

Fair enough. The thing is, Tom might be popular with the girls,

but now he's at a new school, he's got other things on his mind.

My favourite subjects are Maths, PE and Music.

One of my favourite sports is rugby

and I've been playing seven years and I'm hoping to

get on the rugby team at Coyner's. Yeah, I love sport.

I hope my new school friends will think I'm kind and fun.

Sporty and sensitive, just Libby's type.

And the breaking news is, Tom's now decided he likes her, too.

Right, you know Tom?

-Yes.

-Apparently, he fancies me.

She's going to ask him if he likes me.

Loads of people fancied him

and then everyone was like, "Oh, who does he like?"

And they kept asking him and asking him.

And he's said, "I don't like anybody."

But then he'd whispered it to Harvey and then Harvey said my name -

he was like, "Libby, what?!"

And then everyone was saying, "Oh, my God, Libby!"

Keen to find out if the rumours are true,

Libby goes to talk to Tom, but he disappears.

Perhaps he's just shy.

You get it.

I think gossip makes girls feel involved a bit more. It does...

it does to me.

I think girls like a bit like drama.

I mean, even if they don't mean to, they always create it.

Yeah, the girls have a bit of a, you know, gossip.

I know who it is. Iman. Iman.

And then you say, "I promise I won't tell anyone.

"Oh, by the way, you know so and so, they want to go out with so and so."

And you're just like, "What?!"

Who do you think likes who in this class?

Is he fit?

They're like, "This person's going out with this person."

I'm like, "I didn't really want to know that."

Kyran! I know your secret, your sister's secret.

Girls just fall out on that.

But with boys,

they're more like...

they don't care all the silly little things.

If one person goes and slags them off behind their back,

they don't really think of it as a big thing.

Are you guys talking about me?

No.

LIBBY WOLF WHISTLES

THE GIRLS LAUGH

I can't keep a secret inside me.

You can't keep a secret, exactly.

I will have to tell someone.

-Connor doesn't like Isabel.

-Then why are they going out?

Exactly.

I think boys are quite interested in gossip.

Boys obviously have feelings and want to gossip

and say things about people.

But the boys I think try and cover it up a bit more.

Talking of gossip, rumour has it that Tom wants to go out with Libby,

but Tom still hasn't said a word to her.

It's left to Libby's classmate Jess to find out if they're on or off.

We're not going out because nobody has asked him out.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

He said yes!

When we went into the lesson, somebody said,

"Would you like to go out with Libby?"

And I was just like, "What?" I didn't know anything about it.

And they're like, "You two are going out now."

And I was just like, "What?" I didn't know what was going on.

# You and Libby sitting in a tree

# K-I-S-S-I-N-G... #

So it looks like Libby and Tom are an item.

Maybe that's not such good news for Jess.

Libby, Libby, Libby, you broke my heart.

-What?

-You break my heart.

-I'm really sorry.

-It's all right, I'm only joking.

You what?

I said, "You've broke my heart now."

Oh, never mind, Jess.

Meanwhile, Libby is desperate to share the good news with her

old primary school friends.

Erin, I'm going out with Tom!

You've got a boyfriend! Group hug!

And apparently, there's only one way to make it official.

I dare you, go ask for a hug. A wee hug.

Oh, they're so cute!

-You just watch them. Really watch them.

-Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my God, did you hear?

Oh, no! Oh, this is so embarrassing.

No comment.

It seems that love is in the air for some of the Year Seven girls,

but what about the boys?

I know this may sound a bit creepy. In fact, I'm not going to say it,

cos it might just creep you out a bit.

Alex is trying the direct approach with classmate Lucy.

Do you want to be my special friend?

-No, thanks.

-OK.

Probably be Lucas anyway. I thought it was just going to be Lucas.

Step two - find out who your competition is.

What about James?

-No, I like him as a friend.

-What about me?

-You're all right, not in that way though.

-Good.

That doesn't seem to be working,

maybe impress her with your pencil skills.

Bizarre, bizarre.

OK, one more try.

You're really nice, you know.

I know, thanks.

At least you had a go, Alex.

Ben's approach is original,

try to attract attention with some funny dance moves.

I'm a terrible dancer, aren't I?

And if that doesn't work, move on.

I hear lots of gossip about Ben and his girlfriends.

He always talks to everyone about it's so dramatic,

about lots of girls standing him up.

He just keeps on asking girls out that he knows that he

doesn't have a shot at.

I'm not going out with anyone anymore.

I like Lucy, but she doesn't like me.

When it comes to dating, Ben's already a veteran.

Well, my longest one would probably be about...

..over about three months.

It's nice to have someone that, like, you can talk to.

-Sorry, I'm depressed.

-Oh, why?

-Being rejected.

-By?

Lucy.

Why don't you go out with Donna?

I was like, "Can you stop asking people out,

"you've asked, like, three people out in, like, two days."

Well, something like that.

Ben just asked you out.

No, I didn't.

Didn't you just ask her out?

BELL RINGS

THEY CHATTER

I was going out with Ben, cos he asked me, I didn't want to say no.

So I broke up with him the day after.

Not a very long relationship.

Not the worst.

When's your birthday?

7th of June.

And then my best friend started going out with him

and it lasted for two minutes.

Is that enough...?

Isabel's friends came over and said, "Will you go out with Isabel?"

And cos I was in a rush I said, "OK, whatever" and walked on.

She lasted for like a minute and then she was like,

"Sorry, I'm breaking up with you."

We were sat there laughing our heads off and she was, "Oh, my gosh."

Oh, well, there's plenty more fish in the sea, Ben.

It's been a few days since Tom and Libby, uh, announced their

relationship, but in our canteen - Big Cook - Libby's a bit quiet.

Libby, what's going on with you and Thomas?

What do you mean?

Do you lo-o-ove him?

He doesn't talk to me.

When you do have a boyfriend, it's a little weird cos it's like,

it's so like...

..awkward, you don't really like talking to them.

He must be shy.

Why don't you go and talk to him? He likes you, you like him, it's a

perfect match for you, you don't even talk to each other.

When you're not going out with them, you're better friends

with them, do you know what I mean? Like,

and you get along with them more.

No, look, I don't...I don't get it

because Thomas and Libby are going out,

they barely even talk to each other.

Especially when they were in the group together -

one sat there, one sat there, I was like, OK!

With Libby and Tom an item, Jess is feeling a bit left out,

but another Year Seven boy has already caught her eye.

Do you like any boys in our class?

I know Jess does.

Oh, Kyran.

What?

What?

She just spilled your secret.

She just said you like Kyran and I said you like Kyran.

He has nice eyes, lovely hair, he has a six-pack

and he's good looking.

Hmm, all that at only 11, but is Kyran ready for a relationship?

About the girls, um, most of them are quite annoying.

I don't get on with a few of them.

Yeah, I wouldn't have a girlfriend yet

because it's just too early.

I don't really see why other people are doing it already,

but it's their choice, not mine.

Why when Jess was...? I said, "I know who Jess likes,"

and Keana went, "Oh, yes, Jess loves Kyran."

Oh, yeah, I went, "Oh, yes."

You just said it again.

For the new Year Sevens, the first weeks of term mean making new

friendships, with some starting to hang out together after school, too.

-Hi.

-Hello.

For the girls, there's a sleepover at Poppy's with Jess and Milina.

And it's a boys' night of pizza and football at Adam's

for Kyran and Nathan.

Sleepovers are generally fun because you get to eat sweets,

you get to watch movies.

You get to do what you want really when you're not at home.

And your mum's out the way when you're with your friends.

After a disappointment with Tom, Jess has turned her

attentions to classmate Kyran.

To find out if Kyran's interested, Poppy wants to call him,

but Jessica's not happy.

SCREAMING

Jess fancies you.

Stop!

SHOUTING AND SCREAMS

He's not going to be my friend any more now. Thanks a lot.

You know that.

Will you go out with her?

No!

It was horrible when she asked him out for me at the sleepover,

because like I didn't want to look like a fool the next morning.

It's an awful feeling.

But if he did ask me out in person, like, when we were on our own,

I would have said yeah, but now, no.

What did he say? What did he say?

I said, "Jess fancies you." He went, "Yeah, I know."

I went, "Why don't you go out with her?"

"I don't like her." I was like...

Oh, my God.

I don't think anyone can suss out girls, it's just impossible.

They're a maze, I think.

Just leave them alone.

He is going to get his head knocked in. Ring him back.

Uh, I'm not sure that's quite the right approach, Jessica.

DOORBELL RINGS

At Adam's house, the boys are hungry.

Guys, have you seen this?

Pizza anyone?

Who wants a plate? Or are you just going to eat it out the box?

-Eat it out the box.

-There's also a garlic dip and garlic bread.

And while they're stuffing their faces,

the boys end up gossiping about the girls.

What do you think the girls get up to in the evening?

Um, probably make-up. Well, Jessica and Poppy do.

Yes, obviously.

I'd be asking her to come in and wipe all her make-up off,

cos she puts like tonnes of foundation and make-up.

I mean, and lipstick, and eye liner, and mascara.

If you need make-up to look good, then you're not...

you don't look good.

That's a bit harsh, Adam.

Poppy loves practising her skills by giving her friends makeovers.

She's hoping to make a career out of it.

I'm not doing it, I'm not having it.

Girls like to wear make-up a lot.

I think it helps them with their self esteem, it makes

them feel good about themselves, that's the way it is for me.

I'm kind of a girlie girl.

I can't go out without putting on some make-up.

I haven't been wearing make-up for that long.

I got some mascara, some foundation - a big bag of make-up -

for my birthday, I couldn't stop using it.

I'd like to do well in my GCSEs and my A-levels

and start up my own business, painting nails and, like, beauty

kind of thing - cos I want to make others feel good about themselves.

I'm not sure make-up's quite Milina's thing, though.

-Ah, oh!

-What have you done to me?

Nothing! Oh, there's a little bit of foundation in your hair.

Oh, you are joking.

It's all right. You have so much of it, you won't even notice it.

Oh, I haven't got my freckles! My freckles have gone.

It feels nice, doesn't it?

That's weird, all my freckles are gone.

Mel was going, "What's going on? My face is wet.

"It's all damp. I don't like it."

She starts panicking and panicking. Shut up, Mel, it's make-up.

She said, "I don't like it, Jess, I don't like it."

Make-up or not, one thing's for sure, the sleepover is a great

opportunity for these new friends to really bond.

You know what, I'm glad I met you guys, cos it's, I don't know...

-You're...you're nice.

-I love you, I love you, I love you.

Ah, hug over Jess. Ah, ah, ah, ah.

Oh, mates!

Can we shut the door, please?

It's a hug-free zone for the lads,

they have got other things on their minds.

Go on!

Go on!

Oh, come on!

LAUGHING: Oh, shut up.

In the week since Libby and Tom announced they were an item,

they've hardly spoken.

Me and Tom didn't speak for quite a while,

like, we didn't speak for a few days, but then it was just like,

really, I think we started realising, why are we like this?

With emotions running high and rumours flying round the school,

Libby's mate Jess decides to confront Tom.

What did you just do, or what did you even say?

Tell me. Tom, what did you say?

My God, this isn't funny, what did you say?

Tom's ignoring Libby.

Tom walks off with his friends, goes into dinner, she walks past Tom.

She's complaining to me saying, "I don't know if I should go out

"with Tom, help me make the decision, should I dump him or

"should I stay with him? Cos I really like him,

"I want to stay with him."

And I'm like, "If you want to go out with him, go out with him,

"if you don't, don't, so..."

I didn't say anything.

Catch you saying anything again and you will be in bother, by me.

What did you go say to him?

I said, "Have you broken up with Libby

"or has Libby broken up with you?"

Yeah? Jess, stop getting distracted.

I wasn't really that bothered, I just think,

cos I got told that he was talking about me.

I mean, he's a nice boy and I don't, I'm not going to fall out with him

for dumping me, but he hasn't told me why he dumped me, so...

It's better to just be friends.

He's a man of few words is our Tom.

It tends to be the boys dumping.

And I'm not a love doctor, trust me, I'm not.

But I do know this stuff.

So, although Libby and Tom seemed like the perfect match,

it just wasn't to be.

With Tom busy with his schoolwork, his rugby and his mates,

there was just no room for anything else.

But there'll be time for all that in the years to come.

When you get to secondary school everyone's just straightaway, like,

"Oh, I want a boyfriend, I want a girlfriend,"

cos they think they're a lot older, when actually, you know...

-Like, still quite young.

-A couple of months...

-Yeah.

..ago, you were in primary and it wasn't OK then, so...

The case for me is that I've asked out two girls

-and they've both reject me, so...

-Oh, poor Adam.

Like, I think friends are way more important than,

than girlfriends and boyfriends.

Because friends are always there for you.

I don't desperately want a boyfriend now.

I think everyone was just, everyone was so mad to get a boyfriend.

And as soon as one person gets one, a load of other people want one,

but I don't want one now, cos we're only 11 at the end of the day.

BELL RINGS

Next time on Our School...

The end of term approaches and Christmas festivities begin.

# We wish you a merry Christmas

# And a happy new year... #

Year Seven hold their very own talent show.

# Oh, I believe

# I believe... #

# You could be the world... #

# Mama told me not to waste my life... #

Uh, I'm going to laugh.

Hang on, it's OK.

Is it...is it on now?

There seems to be a lot of talk about boys, I have to say.

SHE LAUGHS

Don't - come off the subject, please.

Why?

Cos I don't want to.

Are neither of you fussed about boys at this stage?

BOTH: No.

Did I do it right?