Educating Yorkshire Returning to Channel 4

Channel 4 has commissioned a new Educating Yorkshire series, ten years after the first aired as part of the Educating program.

The new series will return to Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury to tell the stories of modern Britain through the eyes of one school. Mr. Burton, who was an English teacher ten years ago, is now head teacher and must contend with a rising tide of teenage anxiety, a national attendance crisis, the impact of mobile phones and social media and the difficulty of recruiting new teachers.

Viewers will watch as Mr. Burton, the staff and the students navigate the joys and challenges of secondary school.

Educating Yorkshire is being produced by Twofour and will be filmed over 2024/2025, with the aim of coming to screens by the end of 2025.

David Clews and Grace Reynolds, who both created the original Educating brand, will executive produce, alongside David Brindley. Francesca Kybert is serving as production executive.

“Telling the complex story of young people in Britain in 2025 is crucial for Channel 4, and what better way to do so than through this iconic, much-loved school,” said Rita Daniels, commissioning editor at Channel 4. “It will be fantastic to see Mr. Burton in charge, and I look forward to watching him seize the reigns with full gusto. Much has changed for British teenagers since we were last at Thornhill Academy, and it will be fascinating to see how practices have developed and adapted since the burgeoning impact of social media, the Covid epidemic and the intense pressure to deliver good results.”

“Making the Educating series was a highlight of my career, and I couldn’t be happier to be going back to a school we know and love to make something brand-new and reflective of the world we live in today,” commented Clews, chief creative director at Twofour. “Schools and young people deserve an honest and joyful portrayal on our screens, and we can’t wait to work with a brilliant team to create that.”

Mr. Burton added, “I’m excited to welcome Twofour back into our school over the coming months. The national challenges the profession faces are well-publicized, and at Thornhill, I’m really proud of how our staff and students work together to thrive through those. Our values—‘work hard and be nice’—are at the center of all we do; I have no doubt that viewers will see those come to life in our brilliant community.”