School Swap was a two-episode documentary in which small contingents from a private and state school swap places for a week, to see how the other half lives (or, in the case of the privately educated, how the other 93% lives). In episode 1, the Headmaster of (private) Warminster School travelled with three of his pupils to (comprehensive) Bemrose School in Derby. And in episode 2 Derby visited Warminster. There were shots of the children in class, at the homes of their host families in Derby or the small dormitory at Warminster, and we got at least a glimpse of the workings of the two institutions.
Of course a series like this is primarily entertainment, not research. You never know how spontaneous scenes are, how much was shot again, what scenes were selected out for not following the gameplan, and so forth. Nonetheless, I found School Swap more enjoyable and illuminating than many documentaries, and less obviously manipulative. There were several thought-provoking moments. One of the private schoolboys, entered as a lower tier candidate for maths at Warminster (meaning he could not get higher than a C) was regarded as a potential A 'at least' at Bemrose. Was his school too anxious to stream, one wondered? Brett from Derby seemed positively euphoric in his dorm at Warminster, dressing for a formal dinner with evident pride and being motivated by some simple remarks on his potential and the need for hard work. Had no adult said this to him before? Both heads came over as warm individuals; Jo (Derby) made some insightful comments on how privately educated children take up a disproportionate number of top university places and jobs in the professions. Self-confidence, built through relentless positive messaging, seemed to be the answer. I liked her comment on the Warminster children already adopting the nonchalant Oxford walk. She was sharp, but not chippy, and completely devoted to the children of her community. Full credit to Warminster Head for giving a history lesson at Bemrose, too. Speaking of which, the teaching seemed to be much the same in both schools, though the extra discipline at Warminster (made possible by smaller class sizes) was remarked on with admiration by Brett.
School Swap had its weaknesses, of course. Most obviously, it was an experiment that decided its conclusion in advance: private schooling is better because the days are longer and crammed with goodies. Filming techniques underlined this message. Warminster was forever bathed in golden light and surrounded by ethereal music as the camera soared celestially upwards as we contemplated the transcendent beauty of the campus. It is, we were told, 'exclusive', a word delivered with no apprent sense of irony. Bemrose was shot much more from ground level. No ethereal music accompanied the punishment room, or the session on nutritional eating, though to be fair the street-fest we saw looked a lot more fun than hymn practice at a Warminster assembly. Parents on both sides were remarkably absent, though they are surely the most important figures of all. Warminster Head's comment that 'we have two education sectors in this country: private and state' is technically true but disguises - as he would know - a mass of complications. State education differs widely according to distribution of wealth; state schools in affluent areas are de facto largely private, serving those who can afford to live in the catchment area. And whatever school they use, families will still be differentiated by wealth: parents with money can afford after-school music lessons and drama clubs and the like, and those without can't. Did Warminster have to go all the way to Derby because the local comps weren't grim enough? I welcome the project to have joint clubs for both schools, on equal terms, but it's hard to see how that could work across such a great distance. Still, collaboration and some measure of integration across sectors is surely, both morally and practically, the way forwards. There was no time to examine how well children at either school were served by the national curriculum, but perhaps that is the subject for another documentary. And while Bemrose was shown working brilliantly to address the socioeconomic problems of its intake - the breakfast club for disaffected boys and the pastoral mediation session were inspirational - Warminster seemed to have no problems whatsoever to deal with besides the Head not having room for his dessert at dinner. That can't be true, surely? No one is perfect. Was there no case of homesickness, obsessive helicopter parenting, individuals not fitting into the vision? You believe the good things more when you hear about the not-so-goo things.
All the same, School Swap was a good two hours of television, and while at the project stage it might have expected shock and confrontation, it delivered instead a heartening mood of curiosity and genuine burgeoning friendship. When the ethereal music was over, one could only reflect that there are losses on all sides when the young from different backgrounds are separated during their schooldays, which is exactly when they should be getting to know each other. I don't think it's a question of private establishments having a superior approach to the business of educating, much as they love to philosophise about their art: of course Bemrose would have lectures and clubs and dinners if it could afford them. It really does seem to come down to money. Class divide, indeed.
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