Jamie’s Dream School

Historian David Starkey has become the surprise star of the new series, ‘Jamie’s Dream School’. Ostensibly focusing on how to engage teenagers who have dropped out of mainstream education, the programme mainly succeeds in showing just how difficult teaching can be - even if you are world-renowned expert in your field! You can read an article here.

Amusing as the first programme was, it also provides a very useful illustration of teacher-student relationships and how they affect learning. There has been a lot of discussion (see the comments on the programme as well as numerous articles) about whether it shows the teaching profession in a positive or negative light. I think it shows that it’s not an easy job and, whilst the students are often amusing and engaging, they are certainly challenging. More importantly, the traditionalist approach taken by Starkey, and its obvious failure, provides a great starting point for a discussion about some of Michael Gove’s recent comments and approaches to education - important contemporary references that will enhance A level exam answers. Have a look at Panorama’s ‘Classroom warriors’, with Michael Gove supporting the idea of sending ex-military servicemen into the classroom to instil some discipline.

On a less contentious note, you could also use Jamie’s Dream School as a way to consider ‘experiments’ as a research method. I recommend catching up on the first episode on 4oD.