Getting Ahead Our School

SCHOOL BELL RINGS

Meet Year Seven.

What's up?!

It's the most important year of school so far.

You're not here to have a laugh and a good time, you are here to learn.

HE BLOWS RASPBERRY With so many changes...

..new friends...

-Whoa!

-Miss, have you got a cloth?

..and new teachers.

You ARE a Greenwood boy.

-It's an exciting world to discover.

-Wow.

It can be fun.

But sometimes, it can be tough.

There are different challenges for everybody.

We're in Year Seven, we're acting like three-year-olds.

We've rigged another secondary school with loads of cameras...

Is this what you see when you look through a camera?

-Cos this is awesome.

-..so you can find out exactly what happens.

You are on report by my request.

I'm Trev.

I used to go to school here,

but now, I'm one of the teachers.

Last question, because you're going to run out of time.

Welcome to Our School.

-GIRL:

-I need a wee!

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be in charge of all this?

Today on Our School, Taylor-Jay and Charlie spend the day

in head teacher Mr French's shoes on a mission to find out.

-One, two, three - cheese.

-Cheese.

And we'll also meet new boy Eesa,

who's got lots of challenges to overcome.

He's never been to school before and speaks very little English.

-SLOWLY:

-You are drawing a picture...

-of you.

-He's not deaf, sir.

In science, Miss Carter is trying to get the class to define

what an irritant is.

-Irritant!

-Looks like they already know what "irritating" means(!)

Milly, are you chewing gum?

Thank you. Do you not understand that school rule?

You DO understand it? So you are choosing to ignore it.

Seems like Vanessa is choosing to ignore it too.

Vanessa, get rid of your chewing gum.

There is absolutely no way you're leaving on time.

Charlie! You're about to see very grumpy Miss Carter!

We're halfway through the lesson and we have done very, very little.

So, strong suggestion, when I am talking,

what do you think you should be doing?

Looking at me or looking at your book or looking at the board?

Cerys, that would be a great start.

I realise that requires you to turn a bit,

but you can look at your book.

But gazing into Milly's eyes is not going to help you

learn anything or help you think. Right?

When I count down, Daniel, you stop.

That has been the rule for six months.

If you haven't got the hang of it now,

perhaps secondary school isn't the place for you.

MOCK GASP

Do I look like today is a good day to wind me up?

'I can be quite grumpy sometimes'

but I like to think that I am also quite friendly and approachable.

We're going to have a break, everyone go and line up outside.

PUPILS: Ohh.

'Sometimes, if a class are really struggling to concentrate,

'it is easier to just'

restart the lesson and give them a chance to reset.

Not happy, Year Seven, that I am having to do this.

Every minute you waste out here I am wasting of your lunchtime.

You will go into that room when you are behaving like Year Seven.

Stand up, face that way and be quiet.

Right, here is how this is going to work.

You're going to walk back into that room

and you're going to show me what I have seen in your other lessons.

Grow up or don't come in.

BOY GROANS

Come in, sit down, don't talk. Just show me you can sit.

'It just gives the whole class a new start, it gives them an opportunity'

to show what they CAN do, rather than what they were doing.

There is no way, in 20 minutes, I can prepare you for this assessment.

So we're going to have to go into lunchtime,

and I know that's not fair on everybody,

but unfortunately, that's life.

Daniel, stop rolling your eyes at me.

Charlie has got a bit of a reputation around school

for being cheeky, but underneath it all, he has got a heart of gold.

So who better to help Eesa settle into school life?

Both boys are in Accelerate,

a class for students who need a little extra help.

If Charlie works really hard this year, he might be able to

graduate out of Accelerate, back into mainstream classes.

When he needs help speaking, I sit next to him

and tell him what we need to say and what we need to do.

-Night, flight, fright...

-Night, fli... Night...

-No.

-..flight, fright.

'I was the one that had to teach him English'

-and how to write English and...

-Basically a TA.

Mm-hmm. I'm a teacher assistant.

-TRANSLATION:

-When I first came to Britain, I couldn't speak English.

I tried to talk with English people and say things like...

Since I started school, I have learned many new things.

They taught me some words and I can understand the meaning.

"I woke up this morning, had a terrible fright.

"At the front of my bed there was an alien

"with a great, big green light."

OK? Read that.

Good effort, Charlie,

but maybe you should start with something

a little easier than alien poetry.

I respect Charlie, I can understand him.

For example, when he points at something, I can understand him.

When I speak to him, I can improve my English. I can learn from him.

He told me, "I want to help you."

And I said, "OK, thank you."

You write "you". You...write "you".

Write...

WRITE... Yeah?

..about...

you.

I would like to be friends with Eesa, because...

-You already are friends with him.

-How do you know that?

Because you're, like, always there.

Well, because I'm "always there",

it doesn't mean I'm his friend, does it?

It does, actually.

Well, actually, I do want to be his friend,

because I don't want him to feel left out in the whole school.

So... Mm-hmm.

Now, I don't know about you,

but I've always been curious about what a head teacher does all day.

I've never seen Mr French actually teach any lessons.

How are you, Chad?

Keeping up appearances?

I want a couple of students to get the inside scoop

for the school website.

I've already got Charlie in mind,

but I need another pupil with an outgoing personality

and an inquiring brain. Taylor-Jay.

Do you think...? You know when you were little,

didn't you think that Sunday always used to be sunny?

That's what I thought when I was little.

-OK, guys, I've got a big, big, big job for you.

-Big, big, big.

Big, big, big.

I need you to do a day in the life of Mr French.

So, basically, you are going to be stuck to him for the day.

The whole day?

-Yeah.

-So I have no lessons?

Is that the main thing, you're like, "Woo, no lessons!"?

-Yeah!

-You say that,

but it's probably going to be the toughest day you guys have had.

-So we have to follow him?

-Yes.

You don't need to do it undercover, you haven't got to wear, like,

a moustache and glasses and a funny hat.

You're going to be part of what he's doing,

but you're going to get a real taste for what that job looks like really.

It's a big task, no-one else has been asked to do this,

and you guys have been asked because I think you guys will dig deep

-and get all the answers we want.

-Yay!

I want it to be like, people read this

on the website that don't have a clue what

he was doing before, but actually will know everything now.

-OK?

-Yeah.

BELL RINGS

I wonder what everyone else in Year Seven think Mr French does.

You don't really do anything, do you?

You kind of DO do stuff, but... I said, "Doo-doo"!

I think head teachers tell people

off if they're being bad.

And tell people off if they're being good.

-What?

-And tell people off if they're

walking or sitting or leaving...

How can you tell off people

when they're being good?

Because that's what head teachers do.

If I was head teacher, the first rule that

I would pass would be that you are allowed to chew chewing gum.

If I was head teacher,

I would make a rule that the school had to be pink and blue.

And part of it was girls and part of it was boys,

so they wouldn't have fights.

A triple period PE every Friday.

I think I would get angry too quick.

Because there's loads of people in the school that get on my nerves.

-Pancakes on a Monday morning.

-That's it, yeah.

You can dress how you want, and wear nail varnish...

-loads of make-up or whatever.

-I'm not wearing make-up.

You never have anyway.

Mr French has accepted the challenge,

but he does have some strict ground rules.

So, I am going to make a promise, OK? My promise is this...

You can ask me any questions about my job,

and you can be involved in the whole thing.

The catch here is that you have to be at school

when I am at school, because obviously

-you are following the whole day.

-Yeah.

-So, I will see you at six o'clock.

-In the morning?!

-Yeah.

-Oh, my God!

-I have to wake up at four then.

'As soon as he said that we had to be in at'

six o'clock in the morning, I was just, like, shocked.

Thanks, guys. I will see you bright and early.

THIS...needs rest!

6.15, don't be late.

I've never seen them so quiet. Maybe something to eat might help.

I've had nothing to eat.

I'm going into that DT room and going to make lovely scones.

250...

I enjoy cooking, because, like,

it teaches me what to do when I am older.

This is going to prove that I can cook in me own kitchen.

Mango!

-Do you add all of it in?

-I'm not sure you need the whole packet.

That is a lot of mango, Taylor-Jay.

And aren't you supposed to

chop that up first?

Eugh!

I've used my hands.

Whilst Taylor-Jay is busy cooking the perfect scone,

Charlie is in Accelerate trying to create the perfect newspaper tower.

HE SINGS

Stakes are high.

The team with the tallest tower stands to win 50 Vivos,

points students collect which they

can turn into rewards at the end of term.

Sorry, you're going to die if you don't...

Taylor-Jay may have got through quite a lot of mango in her cooking

but that is nothing compared to the amount of sticky tape

that Charlie and Misty are using up.

OK, Charlie!

The other groups are getting on well, but Misty is being held back.

LAUGHTER

Come here, Misty.

-I got stuck together with tape.

-Mmm.

Oh, you're getting the chairs stuck together.

-It wasn't funny.

-It was funny.

-It wasn't though.

-Yeah, it was, it was.

-You just think it was.

-It was funny.

-You just think it was.

No, I didn't - it WAS funny.

You think it was funny when it wasn't funny!

There you go. Slingshot!

It IS meant to be a tower, isn't it?

-No. Ohh.

-Ah!

I can't do it.

Don't give up, Charlie.

Back in the kitchen, mango mayhem continues.

Oh, my God, I am really rubbish at cooking.

I think I've done it all wrong.

Oh, no.

'It was a nightmare'

cos the mango kept sticking out the side, so I had to cut around it.

If Gordon Ramsay was in here, I would be like,

"Can you shut up? I'm doing my best!"

Fingers crossed.

-You all right?

-Yeah.

Finally in the oven. I bet you they will not cook.

With the timer set for the scones,

time is running out for Charlie's tower challenge.

-So, listen...

-Quick!

-Quick!

THEY SCREAM

-TEACHER:

-Stop.

Oh, obviously they are going to win.

I think you might be right, Molly.

Do they look all right?

Sounds like the scones are ready. They look delicious.

Especially if you like mango.

Mine were absolutely sick, they were the best out of all of them,

because they've got mango in it.

-Look at that one.

-That's a beast.

-Right, leave them to cool.

-Mango!

The power of mango!

Even Jamie Oliver would like mine.

He might give me a ten out of ten.

Something else that deserves ten out of ten

is Liam, Daniel and Nathan's monster of a tower.

Fall over, fall over, fall over...

But it still doesn't mean Misty has given up hope for second place -

all they need is for it to stand unsupported for 30 seconds.

-TEACHER:

-..two, one...

-KIDS:

-Yes!

-Yay!

Misty, you could have left it, you know.

# I like to move it, move it, I like to move it, move it

# I like to move it, move it... #

It's home time, and for Charlie, that should be a half-hour walk.

-Ninja-style!

-Charlie can take the mick coming home from school.

It can take him anything up to

an hour and 40 minutes.

-CHARLIE:

-# I like to move it, move it, I like to move it, move it

# I like to move it, move it You like to...move it!

# I like to move it, move it I like to move it, move it

# I like to move it, move it You like to...move it! #

I wish you WOULD move it.

Remember, you've got to be up bright and early for Mr French tomorrow.

ALARM CLOCK BLEEPS

-All right, see you later, have a good day, no messing.

-All right.

-Straight to school, please. Love ya.

-Love you.

Yeah, I can't believe he comes in this early.

The school looks pretty deserted. I wonder where Mr French is.

He's not in reception, he's not in the canteen...

Can hear something, though.

Ah, he's in the gym.

Just follow your ears, guys.

DANCE MUSIC PLAYS FAINTLY IN DISTANCE

-Let's go and find Mr French.

-A'right, mate!

I've got to admit, I'm quite impressed, Mr French.

That's a tough workout for this time of day.

If I was Mr French and I had to do that every day, I would be angry.

-I would hate my job.

-No, no.

She would be like this every day in school.

Yeah, I'll have bags under my eyes.

Why do you get up so early every day?

Because I've got young children and they tend to wake me up.

'Oh, I was impressed because Mr French does keep fit.'

There's just one problem.

What sort of headmaster would do that every single morning?

It's 7.45 and our roving reporters are in the first meeting of the day.

Last week, there were 25 red cards issued, and from week one,

it appears that Tuesday afternoon is the real hotspot for us.

They were, like, talking about the behaviour of...

The red cards, the ambers, the yellows, the warnings,

the building...

-They were talking about...

-The kids.

-Yeah.

Just looking at youngsters that have received two or more referrals -

that's not red cards, that is right the way down to yellow cards -

in a week.

The key is the writing.

At parents' evening, I'm just going to remind people, if there are

students definitely saying that they are not coming, pass names onto...

After a string of long meetings, dozens of photographs

and pages of notes, Charlie and Taylor-Jay finally have

the chance to get Mr French on his own for some questioning.

Let their interrogation begin.

-Who wants to start?

-Me.

-OK, here we go.

Do you like being the head teacher?

-Do I like being the head teacher...

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Genuinely, I think I've got the best job in the world.

I'll put yes.

-Pardon?

-I'll put yes.

-OK.

-What is the best thing about Greenwood?

The best thing about Greenwood is you guys, you know?

This is your school,

and this school sits in the very heart of this community...

'Mr French's answers were really long.

'We had to write notes'

and I couldn't...

I couldn't write them all down, so I just wrote a short sentence.

That's what I done.

I couldn't write them all, man, because he was going too quick.

..and making a difference.

It makes me feel really good.

One of my questions was "What made you become a head teacher?"

and he goes, "I thought I might help people

"and plus I just love kids." That's really nice.

Oh, my God. Care Bear you are.

-Time for a photo opportunity.

-Smile.

CAMERA CLICKS

Very good.

Right, good-o. If you need any more information, just come and find me.

That might be a bit tricky,

because Mr French has been called away on important school business.

Which means it's back to class.

They are both pretty tired having got up so early,

but at least it's music.

You like music, don't you, Taylor-Jay?

-I want to go home.

-Looks like Charlie is stuck in reporter mode.

That should keep him awake.

Stop yawning, Taylor-Jay, it could be worse.

I'm going to have to spread the girls so that

-they are with a boy, possibly.

-Oh, it is now.

Miss Hollingworth has teamed our tired trainee reporters together

to perform to the rest of the class.

-Do we have to?

-Yes, you do. One, two, three, four.

THEY PLAY FALTERINGLY

Uh, do you recognise the tune yet?

Oh, is it A after that one?

-Yeah!

-Hang on, that sounds a bit familiar.

Uhh, maybe not.

What needs to be improved on this?

Nothing a good night's sleep wouldn't cure, Miss Hollingworth.

BELL RINGS

It's home time and, wow, Eesa, you're in a hurry.

Surely it's not that bad here, is it?

When the bell goes, Eesa sprints.

Eesa wants that bus, he is getting that bus, he is on that bus.

If by any chance he has to leave that class a minute later than

he needs to, it will upset him,

because he will think to himself, "Can I get to this bus on time?"

He's very vocal about it.

SHE LAUGHS

Miss McDermott and I are trying to get to the bottom of why

Eesa is so determined to get THAT bus.

What bus do you get, what number bus?

-38.

-The 38?

-38, eh, no good.

-No, it's not good.

Yeah, yeah, the house...

Your house? Cos it's far away, isn't it?

-3.05, and the bus - good, no for 3.21.

-3.21.

-Yeah.

I think if he doesn't get out at 3.05, he misses the bus,

-is what I'm gathering.

-Mm-hmm.

-Yeah, OK.

Eesa, stop worrying about the bus.

Stop worrying.

You will only be late for the bus if you have been in trouble, OK?

-Today you will leave at 3.05, no problem, no problem.

-3.05?

-Yeah.

-And the miss, 3.05?

-Yeah, I'll talk to miss. Good?

It's English in Accelerate,

and Charlie is still helping Eesa out in class.

In fact, it seems he has taken it one step further.

CHARLIE SPEAKS MADE-UP LANGUAGE

Is that a bit of Arabic I just heard?

HE CONTINUES IN MADE-UP LANGUAGE AND MIMICS DOG BARKING

It sounds like they've come up with their own language.

Do you know what noise...?

Charlie, you're not a translator.

Uh? He doesn't understand.

'I've picked up quite a bit of Arabic from Eesa,'

he has helped me count up to five in Arabic,

now I can say colours in Arabic.

Ruff-ruff...

It's made Eesa more confident,

and he is now happy to show off his work.

Not bad. Do you know what that is called?

-You've coloured it in.

-Eh, black.

-You've coloured in with black.

-Black.

Can you write "black"?

-This jacket's black.

-Yeah.

-I'm going to write it.

-Sir!

So Eesa is well on his way to learning a new language.

I wonder what languages

the rest of Year Seven can speak.

I think English people are rubbish at, like,

learning other languages, because when you go abroad

you can't understand a word you're saying, and you're going,

"What? Can you speak English, please?"

I can speak Japanese, Spanish, French...

Bonjour, je m'appelle Spencer.

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco.

No me gusta, senorita.

I want to learn Spanish, because some girls find Spanish,

like, attractive...

If you walk downstairs one morning in Japan

you'd have to go, "Ohayo gozaimasu."

-Ohayo...

-Gozaimasu.

-Gozay-mash-da.

-What's hello?

-BOTH: Hola.

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco...

Bonjour, je m'appelle Taylor! And that's how you introduce yourself.

I do NOT have to say how old I am.

-Mamma mia!

-Yeah.

-When getting the pizza out of the oven.

How do you say, "Hi, my name is Charlie"?

EESA SPEAKS ARABIC

Gis harash Charlie? Giv harash Charlie.

I like to speak gibberish, we can make our own one.

HE SPEAKS MADE-UP LANGUAGE

THEY SPEAK MADE-UP LANGUAGE

-You've got a headache?

-Tell me, tell me.

-I am sick, and the headache.

-He said he's got a bad headache.

Were you sick this morning?

And a headache, yeah.

INDISTINCT

Oh! He said that he did feel sick, but now he's got a banging headache.

You are, like, an amazing interpreter.

Want me to take him to the office to get a glass of water?

Jess, hold your water up.

Have you been drinking water?

CHARLIE SPEAKS MADE-UP LANGUAGE

-No?

-LAUGHING:

-Stop making noises!

-Uh?

-He said he wants water.

-You're going to go and get some water?

Come, Eesa...

-I'll take him.

-Charlie...

-LAUGHING:

-Charlie, stop making noises

and pretending that they're his language.

-Go and sit down for me.

-But it is his language, sir!

'I'm really proud of Eesa for what he has done this year'

because he knows my English, he can write in proper English,

he can speak more English as well.

Which is really good for him, so I am really proud of him.

'It's nearly time for Charlie

'and Taylor-Jay to present their report to Mr French.

'Having gathered all of the information,

'they are now creating a short vlog of their findings.'

A bit closer together.

-Oh, wow.

-"Oh, no!"

I still need you to be a bit closer.

-Uh-uh.

-What's the matter with getting close?

-You're not going to get married.

-It's disturbing.

-Disturbing?

'After a quick bit of filming and a little bit of editing,

'the vlog is ready to show to Mr French.'

Right, are we ready, guys? The grand unveiling.

HE READS ALOUD

-I'm Taylor.

-I'm Charlie.

And yesterday we followed Mr French around the school.

-I did not know that Mr French goes into the fitness room...

-Oh, man.

You could have got some more flattering pictures than that.

THEY LAUGH

What can I say?

I think the most exciting thing about being a head teacher is

you get to see the kids working.

I would not like to become a head teacher

because I would not like to get up early.

No? Really?

-I would not like it.

-That's a good picture of you!

On a scale of one to ten, how hard is the job of head teacher?

Oh, that's a good picture, that is.

I think we will print that off and frame it, don't you?

-Well done, guys.

-I thought that was brilliant.

'We actually did a good job, to be honest.'

-Well done.

-Cool.

-Sweet.

Sick!

Charlie has been helping Eesa for a few months now,

but it looks like Eesa may soon have to cope on his own.

Charlie's hard work has impressed the teachers

so much that they have decided it is time for him to move on.

-Well done.

-A round of applause for Charlie.

Well done, Charlie, there you go.

How do you feel about the achievement?

-Good.

-Do you feel proud of yourself?

You really should, buddy, you've done really, really well.

I am proud that I've moved out of Accelerate, my mum is proud,

everyone in the family is proud.

That is great news for Charlie,

and he has no worries about Eesa managing without him.

I am proud of him, because he's doing well, doing really well.

As a recognition of all their hard work,

Miss McDermott treats the boys to a game of pool.

You spots, me stripes.

I keep forgetting. Oh!

Well done, Eesa.

-Nice one.

-LAUGHING:

-Well done.

So do you think Eesa is learning a lot in class with you?

-Yeah. I've seen quite a big difference.

-Mmm.

Eesa, these two.

Oh.

This is like how I play.

Well done!

-That was a bit frantic. OK, shake hands now.

-Eesa.

Well done, well done.

-TRANSLATION:

-I'm now going to school

for the first time in my life, and I feel proud.

For me, it is like paradise.

I think Eesa thinks that Greenwood is home,

because he always walks up to me

and goes, "Me stay or me go?"

And I go, "You have to stay

-"until three o'clock."

-INDISTINCT

Yes!

We'll meet the rather loud Misty...

SHE SCREAMS

..who's from a really big family.

And then, there's this ball of energy, Isaac...

It's not a dance session, this is a maths lesson.

..who's trying to take charge of his emotions.

-What's happened?

-I don't want to speak about it.

You doing?!

What are you doing?

He has got an electric shock button.

Once I was on the beach

and my cousin swallowed a fly.

It was absolutely gross.

Well, that is definitely a negative.

Horrible.

I told her to get away from me.

Even though she was only four,

I don't care.