Secret Teacher

[SouthWestmom]

I hate this. Why is it not working for me?

Smoke and mirrors this one : I can find nothing online that says he was 'expelled' from school.

He had a place at uni , and dropped out of uni after one lecture because he had a business plan.

Hmmmm.

Absolutely TheZeppo

Plus not being funny but she can be a hairdresser without all the special attention from him

So he gives them nothing really?

She already had that opportunity. Possibly on a smaller scale, but she wasn’t grateful of that! Let’s encourage their sense of entitlement shall we?!

I agree with a lot of the comments on here.
It's strange really.

But I have to say I didn't warm to that headteacher

This last episode infuriated me. I felt sorry for the pupils who get their heads down day in day out and seemingly never got the chance of any extra opportunities.

This last episode infuriated me. I felt sorry for the pupils who get their heads down day in day out and seemingly never got the chance of any extra opportunities.

Agree this whole series seems to be about rewarding the disruptive pupils. I said to DP that it just reminded me of my school, where the hard working quiet ones got ignored and the disruptive pupils got all the attention. (Good as well as bad)

I don't understand how a one off payment of £30,000 can pay for another English teacher.
I may have got it wrong but they had a teacher who left at the beginning of term and it was only for 3 months anyway until they could get a new teacher after christmas. The website says they spent the money on new pcs etc

Everything that's wrong with school to be honest, additional needs aside, if you get your head down and work hard you get largely ignored, if you are disruptive you get a lot of attention. I know there's not an easy solution, but plenty of hard working students have had a tough time at home, so it's not just societal.

I feel so uncomfortable with the whole concept. It feels like a massive web of lies to me, with potentially vulnerable young people. It must really piss the teachers off too, that they are lied to as well. I can't see how this is good for building trust with anyone - teachers, pupils, parents?!

I’ve downloaded the episodes but started watching the one with Kate from Liverpool last night as I was particularly interested in how she would be portrayed. All is not as it seems with her, shall we say. I’m not sure she has made her money from just working hard, shall we say. She’s from my home town so some people are more aware of how her life has really been. For the rest, she seems to have manipulated the local media in some ways, as well as using Instagram to show off her lifestyle so some naiive people seem to idolise her as being a self-made woman, come up from nothing with no money coming from anywhere else.

Sorry, I meant to say, that because I know more of what her life has REALLY involved, I can’t take the rest of the series seriously. It’s an interesting watch, seeing how viewers can be manipulated....

Bruffin my comment was in relation to episode 1 where it said they'd use the one off payment to pay for a new English teacher

I know Purpleme12

according to the schools website they didnt need a new teacher . The teacher left at the beginning of term and it was only a temporary situation until they could recruit a new teacher in the new year. It doesnt make sense that they got the £30,000 for a new teacher at all

haileyburyturnford.com/the-secret-teacher-comes-to-haileybury-turnford/

Oh well that's not what they said on the programme. Yes I didn't think it made sense

Yes, the money will be useful for schools but where will they find the extra teachers needed? Teachers are leaving in droves and this programme is doing schools no favours. Like a pp said, rewarding the disruptive / rule breaking doesn't sit right with me.

1. Lie about who you are
2. Look for the kid making the most trouble
3. Visit them with a camera crew
4. Admit who you are and that you’re incredibly rich. Watch their eyes pop with excitement as a rich person is so much more enviable than someone trying to help you learn
5. Offer money to kid making most trouble
6. Leave

So forever more the kids will be disappointed that no new staff ever reveal themselves to be a cash cow.

Curly - intrigued. Drugs? Sex? Mafia? Something less interesting?

Anyone watching this week?

Me. Better episode, I thought. Preferred the man.

I think Levi is a traveller and Yuri (these are great names!) was adopted so they make sense as 'targets'.

Yes he was less showy and arrogant. The 2 kids did seem genuinely grateful. Wasnt keen on the head though.

Oh, I liked her! Why so?

Absolutely loved Levi on tonight's programme. I'm so glad he got to Spain 😭😭😭

I dont know, just found her a bit annoying! Also she was the only teacher that spoke to camera, sure on the other ones lots more teachers did interviews.

I did wonder why that was, yes, but I thought she was very effective, actually. the Ofsted report says she has made areal difference. Poor woman has the very aggressive Bohunt alliance (they were on telly a few years ago with the Shanghai maths) opening a new mixed school on her doorstep. Boys' schools often struggle in the state sector.(even in the private sector)

It annoys me when the millionaires throw a load of tech at a school. It will need specialist IT support and constant maintenance and has built in obsolescence. The entrepreneurs are usually very IT focused.

I know IT skills are important for the future, but the school needed a new Return To learn area and new toilets, nice new signage (anyone else notice the gaffer tape!). Those things affect parents on Open Evenings, too.

I saw the one with Zain and Eloise. I agree with pp comments about it being groomy, and also the idea of picking out two kids for special treatment felt awful, and more about the rich guy getting an opportunity to feel good about himself - if he really wanted to help he could make an anonymous donation to the school and let them decide how best to use it.

I also wondered about how it was filmed. Didn't the pupils notice the cameras, and what about when he went into homes? I'd hazard a guess that it's highly unusual for support workers to do home visits in any circumstances, but trailing a TV camera?