Episode 3 High School

High School follows a year in the life of Holyrood Secondary School.

Showing the ups...

SHE SCREAMS

We're in!

..and downs.

We've split up now. LAUGHS

-The triumphs...

-Congratulations. Woo! Thank you very much. Thank you.

..and the tears.

They're so amazing people.

..As they battle to keep the show on the road...

Move, we're ready to start.

..keep standards high...

He continues to defy us and to truant from school.

..and make it a successful year in one of Europe's biggest secondary schools.

I like myself and I wouldn't want to change any bit of it.

Holyrood Roman Catholic School is on the south side of inner-city Glasgow.

It's the summer term, which means it's exam time

and the pressure is on both the kids and the staff to perform.

Girls, you need to take a wee step back.

Today, 400 fourth years sit their vital English Standard Grades.

You need to take a wee step back from the door and the boards,

so it's nice and clear for people checking.

Gillian Mimnagh was appointed deputy head at the start of the year

and has taken on the huge task of co-ordinating the exams.

With over 400 pupils to organise,

she has her work cut out to make sure everything runs smoothly.

I actually feel quite nervous, cos this is my first year doing SQA.

I'm the SQA co-ordinator and I felt it was like my own Standard Grades again,

cos if anything goes wrong it's, like, on my head so...

OK, can you start to make your way in to the assembly hall?

And as the fourth years go in, headmaster, Tom McDonald, is by their side.

Passing English demonstrates literacy,

gives you a passport to future employment,

future careers and education and university, college. Come back to school to do Highers,

so it's absolutely fundamental for them.

Every young person should pass English before they leave school.

Tom may think that every young person should leave Holyrood

having passed English, but last term fourth Year Bernice was on the brink

of being asked to leave Holyrood as she was constantly skipping school.

I remember getting caught and I was just, whole world just collapsed.

I was devastated as a mother.

You know, she saw me cry with sheer frustration.

"I don't know what else to do, Bernice."

Bernice was given a second chance after she and her mum worked out

a plan with Tom, who pushed her into catching up with her classmates.

-Make sure your teacher gets those, she'll be delighted to get them. Well done.

-Thank you.

-Proud of you.

Bernice spent the rest of last term attending

and working really hard to make up for lost time.

Oh, I feel brilliant now.

It is not too late for Bernice, but this is, this is the crucial watershed time for her.

Bernice was on the brink of turning things around and looked as if

she might pass at least one exam, with English being her strongest subject.

Non-uniform item off, please.

It looks, though, today, as if Tom's faith in Bernice may have been in vain.

So far, Bernice hasn't shown.

Hopefully she'll be arriving, fairly soon, fairly soon, I hope.

So far she hasn't shown.

Excuse me, you'll need to take that off because it's still playing music

and you need to hand it to me, you're not allowed it in.

You're also wearing your tracksuit, and last time I checked

this wasn't school uniform and you were warned about this,

-so you won't be able to go into the exam room.

-It's in the wash.

I'm going to phone your mother

and check that your uniform's in the wash cos I don't believe

that your mum would send you to school in your trackies.

Because you're in your trackies, you're not

going into the main body of the school because this is not Holyrood.

This is not what we wear into school. So you're going to have to sit in a different room in isolation.

With only minutes until the exam starts,

Bernice is still nowhere to be seen.

So we're getting very close to time and hopefully she will arrive

very, very soon.

After dedicating the last half of the year fighting for Bernice

to stay in school, Tom fears the worst,

that Bernice's chance of leaving with qualifications is over.

There's a few that are a wee bit late, so I don't know.

Normally by this point everybody's in and settled.

If Bernice doesn't arrive in the next few minutes,

she won't be allowed to sit her English exam.

She should be seated in number 128 but I don't see her there.

With 30 seconds to go, Bernice appears.

Em, I've just come in there and I'm in the assembly hall. Do you know if it's started?

Bernice has arrived late but she's there,

but she's there and she'll start now, so...

I'm delighted she's here. Delighted she's here.

Bernice has made it by the skin of her teeth but now she needs a good result.

Last term there was fierce competition amongst

the sixth years to get selected for the school trip to Malawi.

Oh, I really wanted to go ever since I came to this school.

Every year a hand-picked group of 30 kids go out to build classrooms

and work with the local kids.

There were only four places set aside for fifth years,

and Lauren tried her luck at getting on the team.

Sorry, I'm really nervous. That's why I'm pure, my throat's pure dry.

After competing against the best of her classmates, she got the place she wanted.

LAUGHTER

I got through. I'm a bit overwhelmed and a bit sweaty.

Before she heads off to Malawi at the end of term, Lauren has

to get through her exams and she has her Higher English tomorrow.

See, like, it's not even funny, right,

but like my hands actually pure sweat, if I'm in an exam and I'm writing,

I have to quickly put it down and go...and continue writing.

Cos I just get so nervous.

Lauren's desperate to go to university

when she leaves school, so she needs to score high.

I'm hoping an A for Art and an A for Drama

and I would like a B for English and a B for Biology.

So two As and three Bs. So I'll be really happy.

Well, I feel nervous

because I remember what it was like myself, so I do kind of watch,

like, the time I'm thinking "Oh, Lauren'll be out this time and..."

-Mum's like my best friend.

-Definitely.

MOTHER CHUCKLES

-Take That '09. Me and my Mum, Take That '09.

-Take That '09.

THEY LAUGH

People always talk to me about this moment when you're, like, sitting in the hall

and you're doing the most important thing

you'll have to face, cos it decides your future, doesn't it?

If you don't get it, then what's the chance of you being successful when you leave school?

I don't particularly want to be in Asda stacking the shelves. So, it is true, but!

Lauren's sitting five Highers and needs good results

and it all kicks off tomorrow with English.

Back at school, though, the Standard Grade English exam is over.

I wrote about eight or nine pages so,

I don't know if that'll be too much, I just kept writing and writing.

I don't know if I was rabbling or what

but at least I got it finished in time.

They all seem quite happy. Seem to have done well so far, so fingers crossed.

Tom seems pleased with the fourth years but keeps Bernice behind for a talk about her latecoming.

OK. Run late and then you get agitated and get anxious.

-I know.

-You start at half past eight, if things go late then you can

-obviously be here still in time.

-I'm going to try get a lift off my Mum as well.

-Talk her into it.

-I know.

One down. Bernice now has six exams to go.

# I close my eyes...#

Last year, the school show was Oklahoma,

but it had to be cancelled at the last minute

because the cast didn't show up for enough rehearsals.

This year, the Head of Music and Drama, Teri McIntosh,

is determined that Joseph will be a smash success.

We're looking for two Josephs, so that we can double-cast it

and we're looking, obviously, for all the brothers

and supporting cast, the brothers' wives, the pharaoh etc.

So, that's what we're after tonight. Hope we can get what we're looking for.

Auditions are already under way.

# I close my eyes... #

# Drew back the curtains... #

# To see for certain... #

# What I thought I knew... #

There are one or two that are much lighter singers shall we say,

than, than the others when they're on their own, it's...scary.

# Drew back the curtains... #

Teri is happy that she thinks she's just found one of her two Josephs.

# What I thought I knew... #

Fantastic! They're all good. They're all good. They're all good.

-They're all good.

-That's all right, Miss, that makes me feel really confident(!)

You're good too!

# And in the East... #

Can you hear Lorna?

# The dawn was breaking... #

She's a star. Sorry.

I'm last, great(!)

So I'm just... because I'm a senior pupil,

I have to wait until everyone goes in, everyone comes out.

As they say, they save the best till last. I'm kidding on.

Last term, Ross was another one of the fifth years trying to go

to Malawi and was desperate to impress.

It'd be a lifetime ambition for me to take on and it's really, like,

-makes me want to strive to try and get on the team.

-Yeah.

I thought that went well.

I thought he would maybe come over better at interview.

I think he sold himself short.

He got down to the last few but when it came to the crunch,

he wasn't selected.

Same as you. Unsuccessful. Take it on the chin and move on.

Ross is up next and after missing out on the chance to go

to Malawi, he's desperate to get one of the two lead roles as Joseph.

# I close my eyes

# Drew back the curtain...

# To see for certain

# What I thought I knew... #

-OK. See you later.

-Bye. See you tomorrow, Ross.

Wah-wah-wah... Kidding on, it was good.

We know who they are at the moment.

It's difficult, cos we're going to have to put this list up tomorrow or the day after,

there's going to be a lot of disappointment

but hopefully, em, we'll get the right people.

Auditions are going well, but as with all school shows,

Teri will have her work cut out to actually succeed in putting on a public performance.

# Any dream will do. #

-You all set?

-Have you got everything you need?

-Last-minute nerves.

-Good luck.

-Good luck.

It's the first exam for the fifth years,

and Ross is on his way to face the music.

That's my first exam out of five, so, em, it's starting to kick in now.

As soon as I get seated down I'll be, hopefully I'll be fine.

That's my last-minute notes.

Lauren and her friends have also come armed with revision notes

but some are more prepared than others.

Look at my notes. Lauren's notes.

LAUGHTER

Gabber!

-Alreet.

-Try and lower your shoulders.

-Right.

-Roll your shoulders back.

Miss, do you want to massage them for me cos I'm actually so tense, I'm so tense.

-Miss, you're actually quite good at that!

-I'm very good at this!

I think Lauren flatters to deceive us all

that she's a bit...you know, uncaring and everything else

but there's a good brain in there

and I think she'll really concentrate on what she's doing and apply herself.

OK, little ones, that's it. If you're in the Assembly Hall, you start to move now.

Good luck, girls, do well.

Finally, it's the moment Lauren and Ross had been waiting for.

Holyrood offers placements to 20 student teachers every year

and Cheryl is about to take over a French class from her mentor, Mrs Coyle.

I'll observe the class just once when I come in, find out what

they're working on and then from then on, you notice...

It's just like teaching, she'll give me lots of support

and then gradually she'll start to let me do things on my own.

She'll obviously sit at the back, she'll take notes.

Afterwards she says, "How do you think it went?"

I've all these great ideas, sometimes they're not practical.

Bonjour, la classe. Ca va?

CLASS: Oui, ca va.

Oui, ca va, ca va super bien.

Cheryl is coming to the end of her training

and seems to be confident in the classroom.

Remember, we're girls so we say "sportive, active", OK?

The class teacher is part of, I suppose if you like, the programme for student teachers

and what I usually do is I just jot down any comments or suggestions

that I have to make about the student's lessons,

so she's getting constant and regular feedback from everyday practitioners.

Cheryl may be doing well but she has her final teaching practical

at the end of the week which will be assessed

and is crucial to her final employment report.

Ah, oui. Voila. OK? OK.

-We're playing along, we're Frenching it up.

-Oui.

-Right, Frenching it up.

Back at the examination hall, the fifth years have finished.

Is that a smile, Dominic?

I think I done well. I was thinking, "Oh, no," but then I looked back

at my answers and I was like, no I seem to have followed instructions and stuff and done well,

-so I hope I've done well. Perry thinks he's done well too.

-I think I've done very well.

This is Perry's second year, so hopefully he does well.

Aye, it was all right. Um, a few questions were a bit tricky. Apart from that, it was good.

Hi, Miss.

Ross and Lauren think they've done well

but it's only the first of several exams.

Joseph cast are now a team.

Everyone have a seat, I'll let you know what you're doing.

Teri has decided who is playing who in the school show

and Ross is hoping to get one of the two Joseph parts.

Anyone know who Jacob is in the story?

STUDENTS: The dad.

He's the dad of all of these brothers

and we'd like Ross Weston to take that part. APPLAUSE

Having failed to get to Malawi, Ross now has to deal with another disappointment.

And the other Joseph's going to be played by Ryan.

APPLAUSE

Yeah, I am happy, I'm happy, that's all I can say.

Teri may have selected her main roles,

but pulling the show together with most of the kids having exams will be a major test.

By the middle of term and coming towards the end of her exams,

Bernice has decided what she wants to do if she gets the grades she needs.

Up until a few weeks ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do.

There was so many things out there and I just...I was lost with it all.

I was like, "oh, I don't know what I'm going to do,"

and Mum was, "Well, you need to make a decision.

"You'll be leaving soon,"

so I want to go into college to be a nursery nurse,

if I get my qualifications, just till these exams are over.

It's just, I'm trying to get the best possible mark that I can.

I'm just going to do my best and see how I get on.

Bernice will need to pass at least four of her seven standard grades

to give her a chance of being accepted on her dream course.

So, here's what I want to do. We're starting a lesson...

It's the morning of Cheryl's crucial teaching assessment

and she's working with Mrs Coyle on last-minute changes to her lesson plan.

Hold on, after the repetition...

Oh, after the repetition.

..on to the speaking.

And you remember at the start of the lesson to take in the previous night's homework?

Ah, no, I haven't got that.

It is a nerve-wracking experience. There's no doubt.

It's like a young person going in to sit an exam and it's a practical exam, you know?

It's almost as if it was deciding your future, really,

because you know, if she doesn't get a good pass

then she's moved down the list, so it is very important to her.

I just hope it all goes the way I've planned it to go

but, you know, it never does. It never, ever does.

But that's part of it, that's why it's so sort of exciting.

OK, can we start please, folks?

Not a lot of time to get through a lot of things today.

The Malawi trip is getting closer, and having each raised over £2,000,

Tom is keen to make sure the team bonds with a late new member.

Can we welcome Ross to the team first of all?

Ross takes the place of Calum who had to leave school, so welcome Ross.

-APPLAUSE

-Whoo hoo!

Em, someone dropped out of the team and there's a space left.

I was next on the list, so Mr McDonald's asked me if I wanted to go. I jumped at it.

The Malawi trip is a huge commitment for the kids,

as they're expected to attend days of training, fund-raising

and team-building before the end of term.

So with Highers and Joseph on top of this,

Ross now has a lot on his plate.

It's two minutes until Cheryl has her final teaching assessment.

The report that you get from school at the end is really important.

It says a lot and that's what you'll be taking to people and going, "This is what people think of me".

And also the report that your tutor gives you whilst they're watching your class,

These are all things to, like... You keep them and they say a lot of good stuff

for you to take to an employer.

You can teach them the techniques, like,

do it in this order, give out your instructions carefully.

You can give them all the techniques,

but see if you don't have presence in the class, it's very difficult.

If you are not good at getting up and doing that,

for that one lesson someone comes to see you, then you can't have it yet. This is the last one.

Bonjour. Bonjour.

OK. Bonjour, la classe. Ca va?

Cheryl now has to pass the last test

before she can become a fully qualified teacher.

You're over here as well, would you do that now? Come on, chop-chop.

Teri has hit a major technical problem with the school show.

We don't have any lights at all. When they refurbished the school,

they didn't replace the lighting systems, it's really old.

So the guy came to have a look at it the other day, he's totally decommissioned our dimmer completely

and unless the head teacher comes down and tells me I can have £1,200,

I don't know how we'll do this show. I don't know how we'll do it.

I need you up here, I can't discuss it in front of them.

OK, sorry. You want lights? I don't understand that at all.

-Aye, here's the basic story.

-We have a crisis.

-I have a major crisis.

This is the dimmer board which has now been decommissioned

and unless you tell me to tell Ronnie we need to spend £1,200,

we don't have a show.

Hmm. Can we hire one?

No. It's a big part that needs to be put in. And that'll be our lights.

This is Mr McDonald going to look at the lights which he knows as much as me about!

-Watch yourself.

-Can we get one?

-I don't know but we need a "yes" from you.

Crisis time. I have no option, but we'll find the money somewhere.

-# Jacob and sons... #

-Hands up. Hands up.

Cheryl has finished her lesson

and has her written report on how well she's done.

She gave me all my feedback and that. A few wee pointers but she says in the grand scheme of things...

This is amazing.

Thank you so much.

-Delighted.

-Thank you.

She says I have the makings of an excellent teacher.

Which is just so nice to hear after you know...

It's the end of your three placements and you sort of think,

"Can I actually do this?"

Yes. I'm just glad that I'm like, "Oh, OK, yes, I'm good at this."

Someone who knows says that I'm good at this.

Cos you don't want to come in and do this kind of thing and, you know, you're not.

You'd be messing so many people up.

PHONE RINGS

After spending the whole day in Joseph rehearsals,

Ross finally has time to study. But with his last exam tomorrow,

it may be too little too late.

Right now I'm like forcing this, just get this done

and hope it'll have an impact for tomorrow.

But yet again, come tomorrow I know I'll be pretty shaken, so...

Yep, the nerves'll start kicking in.

Ross's mum is also worried about tomorrow.

I think he's taken on a wee bit too much with this show.

He's got rehearsals and things for that, so he's sort of,

"I've got rehearsals today," and he goes and I don't think he's 100% up for it the way he should be.

I think again it's with everything he's got going on, like my mum's in hospital just now,

he's close to my mum. So every night he's going up to the hospital.

I say, "stay home and study," but no, every night he's going up so we'll just wait

and see what the results are.

If Ross can't pass any of his Highers,

he'll have to resit them again next year

or risk leaving school without them.

It's the weekend and school is normally shut.

But Teri has called an emergency rehearsal

as she's struggling to bring Joseph together.

One person, though, is a no-show.

Ross Weston missing this morning? Did you see him? His phone's not working.

A bit concerned cos Ross Weston's not here.

Em, so that's really worrying. He was the last person I sent for yesterday,

I gave him a reminder slip. He said he'd definitely be here.

And he missed the rehearsal last Thursday.

-I'm a bit upset.

-Is that all right, Teri?

-Lovely.

Halfway through rehearsals, Ross finally makes an appearance.

Although a little bleary-eyed from celebrating his last exam.

Oh, I was out last night.

It was a good night you know. Not too much.

Go on this stage and exercise. Something I've not done in ages.

A little worse for wear, Ross has made it

but Teri has to remind him of his commitment to the show.

Right, get on that stage.

When somebody's off, everyone's disappointed.

It's really hard to explain.

Because he's part of what we're doing here, you know?

They think he's not bothered. So it's great that he's here

because he's clearly not 100% this morning!

He's obviously just fallen out his bed, so I'm really glad he's here. Really glad he's here.

It's the last week of term at Holyrood

and the pupils breathe a sigh of relief as exams are over.

Yay, exams are done! Extremely happy and then it'll be Malawi.

So, it's good. I'm so excited. I'm not showing it right now

but I'm pure trying to contain myself, that's why.

It's Bernice's last day at school.

Exams are over, so that's me free, at last, honestly.

I didn't think this day would actually come.

I've been waiting for ages to get out of school

and now that it's here, it's just really strange actually.

I don't want to go.

Oh, I need to say goodbye to everybody

and it's going to be a big change actually, I've just realised.

Bernice, I've haven't spoken to for a couple of days now,

so let's just hope she has success in the examinations.

She has an ambition to do childcare at college,

so I really hope she gets the qualifications she deserves to get.

A lot of hard work went into Bernice and let's just hope it pays off.

Because it's Go, Go Joseph. Go, Go Joseph. I've going to give you this, Kevin.

It's the school show today

and it's all hands on deck to bring it together.

So this is our backstage crew and that's who I work with

and we'll make sure everything's set up for the scene changes and things like that.

Just found out there that I'm wearing a beard so.

It looks fine, you might as well.

-Look at this.

-Positions, please. Opening positions.

Teri has JUST managed to keep all the plates spinning.

Fab, yeah, the kids are great, no hassles. I'm totally calm.

MUSIC BEGINS TO PLAY

The show gets under way

but Teri is soon battling with technical problems.

The lights aren't on.

The lights aren't on.

I need both the spots on. Put the spots on.

Put the spots on. These lights are not working.

They were fine before the production started.

That's it. That's it.

It's that connection. It is that connection.

But things go from bad to worse for Teri

as the radio mics start to malfunction.

VOICE CUTS IN AND OUT

It's happened again. I don't know what's wrong.

The cast carry on regardless and make it to the interval.

APPLAUSE

Just get off. Just get off.

Just too many errors with the sound, and the audience are missing songs

and the kids aren't quite...on their game. Just, they're not...

But it's the first night, opening night. So the lights cut out

as they did this afternoon. The sound, you know, all really fuzzy

sometimes there weren't mics working.

That's the thing about using radio mics, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

-# The dawn was breaking

-# Ah-ah-ah

-# And the world was waking...#

-# Ah-ah-ah-ah...#

Teri is on tenterhooks for the second part of the show.

# A crash of drums A flash of light... #

But it all starts to come together.

# The colours faded into darkness

# I was left alone. #

Was it worth it? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. That's why you do the job.

It's what it's about, for the love of the kids

and for the fact that the kids get so much out of it. It's so worth it.

And their mums and dads are very pleased and proud.

They say, "Look at how my child's confidence has grown, this has helped them."

So, yeah, that's why it's worth it.

By the end of the show,

the performance is a resounding success.

APPLAUSE AND WHISTLES

Well done.

APPLAUSE CONTINUES

It's D-Day for the Malawi team

and everybody's meeting at the school gates.

The moment of truth!

We're all excited.

Everybody's very, very emotional, especially parents whose sons and daughters are going on

a 6,000 mile journey to Africa.

Having assured them it is the warm heart of Africa,

I will look after them as if they're my own.

Although I feel more like grandad than dad these days.

But certainly, very excited and we're now desperate to go.

Only four fifth years are selected for the trip

and leaving Scotland is beginning to hit Lauren.

Sad, just cos I'm leaving stuff, but I'll be back so it's cool.

I'm excited for him, but I'm sad as well, I'll miss him.

I'll miss him but...

I'm getting all emotional now.

Fifth years Ross and Lauren are only 16 and 17 years old.

I feel like such a gimp for crying.

There's no going back for the Holyrood kids

and Tom has done all he can to prepare them for the shock

of visiting a third-world country.

After 24 hours on the go, the Holyrood team have landed in Malawi...

..but most of their bags haven't.

Just got off the plane for Malawi Blantyre

and half the people here have lost their case so...

Trying to get their names taken down.

Hopefully the cases will come in the next few days.

It's not the start they wanted

but Tom wants the kids to see what he has planned

and they head straight to the primary school

where they've promised to build a three-classroom block.

As it's a Saturday, the school's closed for classes,

so the team are not sure anyone will turn up for their arrival.

I think it... Is it not just beyond this church

or across from it? In fact, it's just down there.

Here. Can you hear?! It's amazing!

CHILDREN SINGING

Some of the schoolkids have travelled miles to greet

their Scottish visitors.

SINGING

Hello!

The Holyrood team are working at a massive primary school with 4,000 kids

and Tom has ambitious plans.

This is the foundation. We're building a three-classroom block here.

We've started laying some bricks over here as well,

so by the time we go home we should be up to at least roof level,

with three separate classrooms which should make

a fantastic difference to young children in the CI.

The Holyrood kids need to find their feet quickly.

On top of all the work,

Tom has several trips lined up

which he hopes will stretch them as individuals

and broaden their outlook.

Starting with a trip to a remote local village.

Tom's expecting the kids might be fazed by the way the locals live.

As the kids take time to look around the village,

they begin to realise that life is very different here.

Oh! Look at those big, massive ones!

Are you allowed to try a bit? Are you allowed to eat a bit?

-Yes.

-Is that OK for me to...?

No, Lauren, don't.

I don't really feel comfortable eating the tail cos tails scare me.

Do you eat the claws and stuff as well? They're harmless, they're only mice.

It's got, like, eyes and teeth and...

Well, a pig... A pig has eyes and teeth. You'd eat a piece of bacon.

I can see that one's facial expression when it died, it looks shocked.

It looks like Hermione Granger when she was petrified in Harry Potter.

LAUGHTER

I don't think I'll try the mice, they look a wee bit disgusting.

Sir, you need to live a little.

So far, it seems Lauren is unaffected by Africa.

Lauren, what would you do if you were sleeping in the night

and I came in with this kebab like that tickling your cheek.

I'd be physically sick.

Lauren's taking Africa in her stride, but it's still early days.

At the massive primary school in the centre of Blantyre,

it's the first real day of work building the classroom block

and the Holyrood kids are getting stuck in with the local builders.

-Build the back row?

-Yeah, yeah.

You get the hang of it but at the same time

you start getting tired and tired and tired.

I mean, these guys are used to it you know, so...

show a bit of effort.

These bricks make it slightly harder to get a flat, straight wall. We do our best.

They have two weeks to get the roof height.

If it's ready, the new block will house the Primary One kids

who are currently being taught in a huge, dark building.

Look at this. This is the entrance block in CI.

It's the most appalling classroom anywhere I've ever seen.

Young children, five, six years old,

have to endure the most absolutely

unacceptable appalling conditions,

crammed into horrible, dingy classrooms,

no lights, no electricity,

no resources at all,

crammed in, but still very eager to learn, so we're trying to improve the facilities for them.

These children deserve better and we'll give them better.

Hiya. Aarggh.

It will be a race against time to get this year's classrooms built.

Over the last five years,

the Holyrood team have built up an amazing rapport

with the schools they've been helping

and their trips make a huge difference.

Last year, the team were inspired to build new classrooms

for the special needs kids and their amazing teacher, John.

This year, some of the Holyrood kids have even been hand picked

and trained to work with him.

They are happy. Can you see how they are working in this room because they like playing.

As long as they are playing, they learn a lot through playing.

Sixth year Michelle was one of the pupils trained back in Scotland

-and now she's getting stuck in.

-I'm really excited now.

It's good that we're actually getting to do it.

They all seem quite excited as well

and eager cos I don't think they've ever used paint. So...excited!

It's lovely seeing our girls working with the kids.

Oh! Are you sitting next to me, sunshine?

It feels really good, actually. It feels lovely, very nice.

After a brilliant morning getting to know the kids and John,

Gillian is feeling proud of the way the Holyrood kids are working.

I think it's a fantastic experience for young people.

I think it's hugely important.

I just think it's dead, dead rewarding and things like that.

Sorry.

The experience of working with kids with such complex difficulties in Africa,

is proving a big challenge for Gillian.

I think it... I don't like actually getting upset cos I don't think

it's fair to get upset but it's just it's a real eye opener

cos my mum and my sister both work in special education.

You see how much those children have in those schools

and then you come here and they've got nothing

and I just think life's hard enough

but they're so happy and the guy, John, is so good.

I mean, like, our kids are amazing, you know?

And they're just getting there and they're so positive.

We're just proud of them doing that and working with the kids so well, and things like that.

It was so nice to see them all so happy

and doing something different and absolutely loving it,

it was just so nice. It was really good. I'm actually cheesered,

I can't explain how good it was.

Not satisfied with helping John or the building project,

Tom has also promised to renovate six classrooms as well,

so the Holyrood team are under pressure from day one.

It's hard, but it's going well. It's not hard the way...

I thought the building bit would be much harder.

But that's probably because I've not been building yet.

But to do with the kids, that's hard cos like they're so clingy

and they're just standing there while we're doing this in total, like, fascination.

You can pure tell they're already appreciating it. So, when you have them look at you like that,

it's making you work faster cos you want to get it done for them.

Much to everyone's delight back at base,

the missing bags have arrived.

My baby!

Ahhh!

THEY SCREAM WITH DELIGHT

The kids are all settling in and getting used to life in Africa...

-Outside our room there's massive spiders.

-Massive things. Tarantulas, basically.

..and today's painting has left a lasting impression on Lauren.

Look, going to look at this, but. I genuinely need to go out like that.

There's probably going to be pictures took, right?

I look like a bloody... Like a demented smurf.

The Holyrood kids are slowly getting used

to living and working in Malawi

which is good, as Tom intends to test them more and more

over the next week and a half.

Malawi has few natural resources

and is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Many see education as the best hope

of alleviating the poverty in the country

and most schools attract kids

by giving out one cup of fortified porridge a day for kids that attend.

This food is vital and sometimes the only meal the child will get.

That is, if they have anything to collect the porridge with.

In the middle of the first week,

the Holyrood team have found some of the special needs kids

sitting on the ground, locked out of their classroom.

Just now what's happened is John,

who's the special needs teacher and the only one in this school,

and he's not in today and wasn't in yesterday and we've just found out

that he's not going to be back until Wednesday,

but we're thinking, like, some of the kids have come

because they're obviously wanting...

They come to school for their meals, so we're just going to...

We're going to just ask Nelly, the head teacher,

if we can teach them today.

Seeing the special needs kids left outside has brought home

the scale of the problems in Africa to Michelle.

The fact that they're here just shows how much they're desperate for food

and desperate for, like, some form of learning.

Och, I don't know. It's really upsetting cos it's a shame thinking

that they're so desperate that they come to school for food.

Tom is angry that John has been called away

and the special needs kids have been left on the ground.

I need... I need, I need John in here. I need John back in here.

'Eh, what I've found out...'

John, apparently, has been called away unexpectedly

to do exam supervision at different parts of the area,

so I've actually said I'm disappointed,

we work so closely with John, we love the special needs children.

We've built a classroom for them, John's not here.

The children can't come to school - that's really disappointing,

so I've asked for him to be sent back again.

So, I hope that will happen now.

OK, I'll be about ten minutes, OK.

Tom is determined to use all his influence and contacts

to get John back.

But only time will tell if he's going to be successful.

After several days eating basic food,

all the kids are given a treat

visiting the only supermarket in the city.

It seems sugar is a high priority.

This is the first time the kids have had, like, sweeties

and chocolate for, like, four days, so, you know, they're so excited.

Honestly, I've actually not seen them this excited

since they found out they were going to Malawi, practically, honestly.

So it's going to be like Supermarket Sweep.

-Racing through, lots of Coca-Cola and chocolate.

-What are you going to get?

Lots of Coca-Cola and chocolate. SHE LAUGHS

Enough crisps to do me till next week.

Doughnuts. They're so good. It was only, like, 90p or something.

I've got these.

-I'm eating Rab's Jungle Nuts.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Rab's king-size nuts.

-And they're lovely.

-SHE LAUGHS

The kids may be stocking up,

but some of the boys couldn't help noticing

that there were cups on sale

and have diverted some of their own money.

Eh, I bought some cups for the little kids.

It was only, like, 500 kwacha, or something like that.

If you see somebody starving, give them a cup, basically.

Kieron and Mike have 30 cups to give out tomorrow,

for kids at the school who don't have one to collect their porridge.

The rest of the Holyrood pupils seem satisfied

with their little taste of home.

Doughnuts...

Crisps...

Toblerone, Crunch, Kinder...

Chicken... It was like an African chicken Pot Noodle.

It probably won't even be that nice,

but I'm not even kidding, I could, like, eat a horse right now.

Want a bit?

Towards the end of the first week,

the classroom build is still going according to plan.

It's going well, um...

As you can see, it's just slowly building up now.

Mr McDonald says that we've got the most done in the... Like...

Ever.

The porridge programme was started by a Scottish charity

called Mary's Meals and feeds all 4,000 kids -

that is, if they have a cup to collect their food.

Kieron and Mike have brought their cups to the build

and have already handed three out

which have all ended up in one boy's bag.

I looked inside his bag and he's got three or four sitting inside his bag,

so they're obviously desperate for them and they're just trying

any sort of method to get it.

Struggling to find the best way to help,

Kieron and Mike have turned to a teacher.

Tom is keen to see whether special needs teacher John,

has been brought back, as he'd asked.

Hello.

Tom's hoping that it's good news down at the special needs block.

Good to see you.

And it is, as John has been specially recalled.

-It was why we had to have you back here.

-Yeah! That's good.

-JOHN LAUGHS

-That was not acceptable, John(!) Wasn't acceptable, no.

-Yeah, yeah.

Mike and Kieron are still trying to communicate

that they have 27 cups left to give away.

Put your hand up... If you don't have a cup, put your hand up.

It seems at first a good idea, but there are many more hands than cups.

There's too many in the class, so the teacher's picking out

all the girls cos he says they won't lose them.

So, we're going for the girls

Eh, we thought it was just a few people,

but half the class put their hand up.

Worried that the cups will be taken from the girls

by other members of the class,

Kieron and Mike take them to give them out in private.

Right, are we going to go? No, not you, just the girls.

Just the girls, just the 27 girls.

But word has already spread, and a crowd has started to form.

Line up.

Is that it? That's it.

Go.

Go.

Go away.

Michael?

It's nice, but at the same time, it's like...

You want to give everyone one.

I don't think me and Kieron were expecting that many.

It's quite hard to try and say,

"No, you're not getting one," but...

You give a quarter of one class a cup and then there's another 30 classes.

We thought 30 cups would feed most people,

it'd just be a few that had lost them, but it wasn't.

It's more than half of every single class in the whole school.

So that's about 2,000 who don't have a cup.

Shows how desperate they are, how much they need it.

The Holyrood kids are all beginning to realise

the scale of the poverty that they are dealing with,

and the difficulty of actually helping on the ground.

By the start of the second week in Malawi,

Tom thinks the group are ready to face

their biggest emotional challenge.

Going out to an under-six centre, a nursery centre,

to see babies, toddlers who's suffering the effects of malnutrition.

Some also are HIV positive.

Some won't survive.

We could come here and simply build and paint and so on

but part of the... I suppose, the programme I have for them

is that they develop an understanding.

It will upset them to some extent,

but I think that's a consequence of just becoming aware

of the gap between our life and their life

and how they can actually make a difference to closing that gap,

even just by a little bit.

It's only a short visit,

but it's enough time to get to know a few kids

and see how the feeding centres work.

All the Holyrood kids are getting stuck in

and they're doling out as much attention and love as they can.

Some of these kids have got HIV and AIDS and stuff like that,

and you can kind of tell the ones that do

cos they're not nearly as happy as the other ones.

It's hard, but all the kids seem to be happy and that's...

That's the most important thing, you know?

That's the only thing that matters. If they're happy, then...

so should we, we should be happy for them.

It's just, like... They're just, like, packed with so much love.

They're just so bouncy and smiley and they just want to be cuddled.

I feel like actual crap.

It's just such a shame for them.

Cos, like, half of them are orphans and everything

and it's just horrible.

It's just so different from the way we live

and it's horrible to think... Like, I'll go in a mood with my mum

if she doesn't do something for me and, like,

half of them probably don't even have mums and dads

and it's just, you just feel, like, horrible... I just feel horrible.

I just feel like crap.

Bye-bye. Bye!

It's been a challenging experience for all the Holyrood kids.

Just really sad.

OK, let's go. You guys want to jump on?

The orphanage visit has had the impact that Tom hoped

and later in the week, he has another trip planned,

which he hopes will now lift their spirits.

Back home, pupils across the country

have been waiting anxiously for their exam results.

Mum?

-Yeah.

-Is there tea made, no?

-Uh-huh.

And today's the day Bernice will find out

if she has passed the four Standard Grades she needs

to get the place in college she desperately wants.

I don't have any idea about exam results.

I've been waiting for ages, it feels like,

and I'm quite nervous, actually. SHE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY

Bernice's Mum is desperate to find out if she's managed to pass

any of the seven Standard Grades she sat.

It's quite scary, isn't it?

I think she sat seven, so if she even got one or two, you know?

I'd be delighted.

Especially after everything, you know, that she went through

at the beginning, trying to get to this stage.

As along as she...

..gets something.

LID CLANGS

In Malawi, the team have been struck down by a sickness bug

with five days to go before they leave.

Ross, can I come in?

-Have you been sick?

-I was last night.

-Right.

Everyone else is getting bugs and stuff like that.

But me, Kieron and Chris - we're all fine, but.

I've stopped feeling too good.

Like, my stomach's not happy with me.

And I feel really weak and down.

Well, I'll just get a shower, then after that see how...

See how things are from there on.

It's the moment that will shape Bernice's future.

After nearly dropping out of school,

she's hoping she's turned her chances around at the last minute.

-It's all right.

-Is it? Is it good, Bernice?

-Aye.

Right, tell us, what is it?

-I passed, anyway.

-What did you pass? Seven passes?

-That's brilliant.

-SHE LAUGHS

Oh, so proud of you.

Bernice's Mum is shocked and proud

that she's managed to pass all seven exams,

including a Band Two for her English.

That is an achievement, darling. That's fantastic.

-I'm so proud of you.

-That's mad, isn't it?

-Oh, wow!

Oh...

I'm really proud of her.

To think...

..em...the struggle that we had at the beginning,

she's actually came a long, long way

and it really goes to show, you can turn your life around.

I think one of the best days of my life.

Mr McDonald has helped me a lot.

He pushed me to come to school when I was feeling at my lowest,

he was like, "There's no point in letting yourself down.

"Just come in and show us what you can do,"

and I think that's what I really needed.

The kids in Malawi are not allowed contact with the UK

and will get their results after they get home.

The build, though, is getting an "A" grade so far.

I'm absolutely delighted, you know, this is...

I think the progress is remarkable this year -

to have got to this level of window height is absolutely remarkable, so, absolutely delighted.

Delighted with the progress so far.

Tom is keen that the Holyrood kids see charity work at the front line

and all the team have downed tools

and travelled to a remote rural school.

TEACHER CALLS OUT IN LOCAL DIALECT

No-one at the African school knows why the team have arrived.

They've no idea what's going to happen today.

They know we're here, but they don't know why we're here.

We're going to explain to them they're going to have the gift of a backpack.

It's actually really heavy.

Back in Glasgow, many schools collect backpacks

and fill them with things the kids in Africa might need,

and, although they don't know it,

every child at the school is due to get a backpack today.

Even after five years of working in Malawi,

Tom is shocked at the state of the under-fives' classroom.

This is a byre for cows, not for children.

How you can learn and teach in this, I just...

It beggars belief. This is just awful. It's awful.

It's young children, it's vulnerable children - to come here

and have to tolerate this every day, it's just absolutely dreadful.

Absolutely dreadful. I'm glad we're here

and we're here to make a difference to these children,

but it's appalling what they have to suffer in life isn't it? Appalling.

TEACHER CALLS OUT IN LOCAL DIALECT

CHILDREN SHOUT IN REPLY

Still not sure of why the Holyrood team are there,

the infants are asked to hold up their own school bags.

This is the bags they currently come to school with.

Mostly bits of plastic they come to school with.

Some, absolutely nothing whatsoever.

Some with their porridge cup and nothing more.

In another classroom, Gillian's team is getting ready

to reveal to the children why they are really there.

We're just getting ready to give them out now.

They're all nice and quiet with expectation, it's lovely.

THEY GIGGLE

Five...

..four...three.

THE CHILDREN CHATTER EXCITEDLY

It's amazing, honestly. It's like...

A lot of schools do backpack appeals and stuff like that,

and we've done one.

And it's just... Their reaction's just amazing. It's fantastic.

Unbelievable! They're so happy.

And, like, we're never this happy at school, it's amazing!

One of the girls keeps taking everything out and putting it all back in and taking it all out again.

It's mental. CHILDREN SING

I've never seen happier children ever in my life.

I've often said it's a bit like Christmas Day -

that's away beyond Christmas Day.

Christmas Day at home is children with a lot of things getting more.

That's children with nothing getting some basic things

we're casting off back in Glasgow, back in Scotland.

So moving.

CHILDREN CHANT AND SING

It's nearly time to go home for the Holyrood kids

and they're rushing to finish all the classroom renovation,

including Ross, who is feeling better.

Although it's, like, everything's coming on well,

it's just, we want to get it finished

and just have that feeling that we've done our job, you know?

-I'll come and find you, OK?

-Yes.

-Stay here.

As it's the last day, some of the Holyrood team

have been trying to give away their things to the African kids.

My mum gave me loads of football strips to bring over,

so I'm going to give them to the kids, but it's really awkward

because, you know, if you take out a bag

and you start giving all them out, they're all pick... Jump on you

and take it off you, so you have to be really discreet.

Cos, like, you can see they're all watching us. Most awkward.

Disaster has struck, though,

as one girl has been bullied after being given a hat.

Wee boys were dragging her along the ground and all that,

and she got hurt. She doesn't have her school bag or anything,

so I'm going to go in and give her some stuff,

while I can do it the now, cos everyone's away.

But hopefully these wee girls don't come up,

cos I'm not giving them anything, I just want to get her.

Lauren has decided to take the little girl under her wing.

Laura, have you got a plaster?

A plaster?

Do you want me to put a plaster on?

I was just wearing a hat that I wanted to get rid of and I saw her on her own.

She started smiling and talking to me,

so I just put it on her and walked away.

Got back in the classroom and I saw people running towards her.

I didn't expect that, and now she's up here, cut.

Initially, Lauren looked as if she was taking Africa in her stride

but have the last two weeks really had an impact?

It hasn't hit me, well, it has hit me but it took quite a while for it to hit me.

But it's when you get people like Irene, here, who's just...

She doesn't say anything, she's not got a school bag,

she's got a dirty container for her food. She's all dirty, she...

Look at her feet - she has to walk about out there

where there's things coming out the ground,

and she's probably only about five years old or something.

She's just...

so fragile.

All the kids are rushing to finish their projects

and say goodbye to the friends they've made.

The education, some people say, is what you...

It's what's left over when you forget all you've learned in school.

Education is the person you become, the qualities you have.

Education is about this whole life experience

and coming to Africa from, basically, your own environment

and seeing things that you would never ever, ever be able

to experience anywhere in your own country,

will change people for life and our young people will go back, I think,

better prepared for life and much more determined, I think,

just to see that they themselves can contribute towards society

locally and globally

and to boost the gap between, poverty and wealth and, I think,

I'm confident my young people will most certainly go back home

with a great, great, determination towards making a difference.

With six classrooms renovated and the build much further on

than Tom ever hoped, the trip to Malawi has been a huge success.

Once you come and see it, it's totally different from any

perception I had about Malawi before.

It's really changed me as a person because now I know I'll go back,

I'll spread the word, you know? And hopefully make a difference.

MUSIC: "Growing Up Together" by Paolo Nutini

# Sitting beside you in school

# While we'd paint I'd make you laugh

# Mine's was never very good

# Yours looked exactly Like your photograph

# Looks like I'm growing

# I'm growing up beside you

# I don't always get the way you feel

# But now I've learned To live with that

# It's like I'm a part Of something real

# I was hitting the bottle Now I've broke the seal

# Looks like I'm growing

# I'm growing up beside you

# Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh. #

GIRL LAUGHS

Behave yourself. Enjoy your weekend, too.

# Ooh, ooh-ooh

# Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd