That'll Teach 'Em


That'll Teach 'Em is a British historical reality documentary series produced by Twenty Twenty Television for the Channel 4 network in the United Kingdom.

Concept

Each series follows around 30 teenage students who have recently completed their GCSEs as they are taken back to a 1950s/1960s style British boarding school. The show sets out to analyse whether the standards that were integral to the school life of the time could help to produce better exam results, when compared to the current GCSE results and to compare certain contemporary educational methods with modern ones.
As part of the experience, the participants are expected to board at a traditional school house, abiding by strict discipline, adopting to 1950s/1960s diet and following a strict uniform dress code, the only difference being the absence of corporal punishment as it was made illegal in all state schools in Britain in 1986, and in all private schools in England and Wales in 1998. Because of that, other strict punishments, most notably writing lines and essays and holding up heavy items for a certain amount of time were used instead. Throughout the series, a number of students have either been expelled for misconduct, or have chosen to leave the school voluntarily.
After four weeks, the students then take their final exams, produced to the same standard as contemporary GCE O Levels and CSEs.
There were three series of the show, the first airing in August 2003, the second in August 2004, and the third and final series in April 2006.

Series overview

Series 1 (2003)

The first series of the show was filmed over 4 weeks in July and August 2003, at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. It featured 15 boys and 15 girls who had just sat their GCSEs and mostly did well, though some failed. The school was branded as "King's School".
Known TeachersSubject
Mr Andrew MacTavishHeadmaster
Mr Tony PerryDeputy Head/Housemaster/Science
Ms Pat CroweMatron/Housemistress
Mr Peter DaplynGym/Disciplinarian/Shower-Master
Mr Geoffrey HeathMusic
Dr Elizabeth PidouxEnglish/Housemistress
Mr Simon RockellHistory
Mr Austin VinceMathematics/CCF
Mr Simon WarrLatin/French/Housemaster

BoysGirls
Harry ElgoodClare Dery
Nic HallSeraphina Evans
Colum HughesNichola Greenhalgh
Freddie HutchinsHenrietta Haines
Tom JewellVictoria Julien
Richard MyllesHina Khan
Rajay NaikKathryn McGeough
Blaine PikeHolly McGuire
Ryan SmithsonEmma Pinchbeck
Andrew Stratton Harriet Rykens
Matthew SweeneyHannah Smith
Ali UnwinFrances Weaver
Simon WallerTarot Wells
Andy WalneRebecca Woodward
Joe McCreadyNadia Freeman

Joe McCready was expelled during the series for persistent bad behaviour and disrespect towards several staff members. In episode 3, Nadia Freeman chose to leave the school voluntarily owing to the food. In the fourth episode, Mr Perry served as acting headmaster owing to Mr MacTavish being unwell at the time.

Series 2 (2004)

The second series of the show, called That'll Teach 'Em Too, was also filmed at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe in August 2004 and was known as "Hope Green Secondary Modern". This was the only series set in the 1960s.
Known TeachersSubject
Mr Richard FawcettHeadmaster/Geography
Mr Maurice PirotteDeputy Head/Housemaster/Rural Science
Miss Jeanette GibsonEnglish/Housemistress/Pianist
Mr Lee AustinGym/Disciplinarian
Mr Andre BakerWrestling
Mr BarnesChief Examiner/Test Tutor
Ms Pat CroweMatron/Housemistress
Ms Jackie DunnNeedlework
Ms Janet FahertyDance
Mr Neil GarnerGuitarist/Music
Miss Kirby-JonesHome Economics Examiner
Mrs Cherilyn Lloyd-JonesDomestic Science/Home Economics/Cookery
Mr John NosworthyBricklaying
Mr Francis PeacockHistory and Tutor
Mr Thomas SmithWoodwork
Mr Austin VinceMathematics/Automotive/Scouts/Tutor
Mrs Cornelia WelhamTouch Typing/Religious Studies

BoysGirls
Perry Goyen Stevie Harman
Ben BarberEmily Apari
Andrew BrownHannah Benjamin
Josh DavisCharlotte Difone
Adam DoyleAvril Hardy
Daniel GallagherNikki Hollingworth
Luke GrahamMaureen Islam
Harvey HerdmanRosie Knight
Christopher HobinKasi Kulon
Shina OniwindeCharlotte Neild
Alex RobertsSara Roadknight
Harry RoweErin Tate
Franklin De SantiHolly
Lewis DavisAliss Hadley
Ashley CattermoleSophia Madisonte

Sophia chose to leave the school voluntarily owing to her poor behaviour stemming from frequent clashes with multiple staff members, and out of frustration over the school's disciplinary enforcement. Though it was never shown, Aliss Hadley, Lewis Davis and Holly also left for unknown reasons. This was the only series in which no students were expelled. Most students passed only 1 CSE. As with Series 1, 15 boys and 15 girls entered the school at the start, and 26 finished.

Series 3 (2005–06)

Series 3 called That'll Teach 'Em: Boys Versus Girls was filmed during August 2005 at St Joseph's College in Ipswich, and broadcast during the following April. The series returned to the setting of a 1950s grammar school. The school was branded as "Charles Darwin Grammar" and focused predominantly on practical sciences. It also experimented with boys and girls being taught separately. The languages teacher in series 1, Simon Warr, took on the role of headmaster in Series 3.
Known TeachersSubject
Mr Simon 'S.R.' WarrHeadmaster/Classical civilisation
Mr James WilliamsDeputy Head/Housemaster/Biology
Miss Jeanette GibsonEnglish/Art
Mr David StanleyMusic/Tutor/Disciplinarian
Dr Andrew SzydloChemistry
Dr Peter WildePhysics/Housemaster
Miss Anabelle BryantHousemistress/Gym
Miss CarterMathematics/Tutor/Housemistress
Ms Pat CroweMatron/Disciplinarian
Mr TommsGym
Sgt AllenCCF
Mrs TurnerLaboratory Assistant

BoysGirls
Rob Hudson Victoria Buxton
Nathan AnidugbeSally Rushton
Philip DonaldJessica Boulton
Hugh GilroyFrancesca Bruce
Brennon GunstonAnna Clift
Chris HedleyHollie Dearman
William HoKayleigh Durman
James IngramAmy Jampa-Ngoen
Sebastian JeffordRuby Lally
John KempleRosie Morton
Luke MillsJenny Ritzman
Scott PetersCorrine Stewart
Michael PetkovMeng-Yuan Sun
Qadeer RazaqueAshleigh Walters
Joe SeathEmily Williams
Simon TaylorSamantha Wyvill

Scott Peters was expelled during the series for persistent bad behaviour, disrespect, and refusing to participate in some areas of the school curriculum; particularly CCF. Brennon Gunston, Rosie Morton and Amy Jampa-Ngoen chose to leave the school voluntarily, although Mr Warr gave Amy his explicit blessing to leave owing to her poor conduct record. After failing to stop some girls from using the telephone in the laundry room, Victoria Buxton was forced to step down from her position as Head Girl, and her role was filled by Sally Rushton. In addition, Brennon Gunston and Rosie Morton were replaced with Joe Seath and Francesca Bruce respectively. In the academic competition between the girls and the boys, the girls won overall, and most students managed to pass only one O Level.

''That'll Test 'Em''

For the third series, a spin-off series, That'll Test 'Em, aired on More4 after the main programme. It saw pupils featured in the That'll Teach 'Em episode just aired being quizzed in competition with their parents on topics that they should have known well after their time in 1950s/1960s education.

International versions

The format from the series has been adapted in eight countries: France, Spain, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands and Russia. The international rights are distributed by DRG.
CountryTitleTV channelSeasonsDistribution
United Kingdom