Educating Yorkshire 2025: Channel 4 drops first look at Educating Yorkshire as release month confirmed
Educating Yorkshire is returning to Channel 4 after more than a decade 😍
- Educating Yorkshire is returning for new episodes this month.
- The acclaimed Channel 4 documentary has dropped its first teaser.
- It is the brain child of actual students from the school featured.
A teaser for the highly-anticipated return of Educating Yorkshire has been released. Students from the school featured in the series were involved in coming up with the trailer.
Channel 4’s cameras first stepped through the doors of Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury more than a decade ago. The acclaimed show has now returned to the school for a brand new set of episodes.
To help promote the upcoming episodes, the broadcaster has enlisted students from the school - and others around Yorkshire - to help. Here’s all you need to know:
Channel 4 drops first look at Educating Yorkshire 2025
It has been more than a decade since Channel 4’s beloved Educating series last went to Yorkshire - and five years since the broadcast of Educating Greater Manchester 2. The show returned to Thornhill Community Academy during the 2024/25 academic year for the new episodes.
Ahead of its return later this month, the first teaser has been released and the broadcaster enlisted the help of students at the school featured. It is a ‘one-take’ style clip which takes viewers round the school through classrooms, the science lab, the playground, canteen, and the sports hall.
Starting with two students wondering how they could possibly come up with a trailer, it explores the school, before returning to the original classroom. The two students describe the idea of a ‘one-take’ as “too difficult” in a fun tongue-in-cheek moment.
We have embedded the trailer just above, it may take a second to load in. Let me know what you think of the trailer by email: [email protected].
Educating Yorkshire ‘takes over’ Channel 4
However, the first teaser is not the only way that Channel 4 is promoting the upcoming episodes. It has been ‘taken over’ by school children from across Yorkshire.
Over 400 school children from Thornhill Community Academy as well as the Lawnswood School, and Dixons Unity Academy have got involved in creating the youth-driven campaign, taking part in numerous workshops to plan different aspects from ideation through to execution.
Between shows, the typical on-air announcements which introduce what’s coming up on Channel 4, such as The Great British Bake Off, Come Dine with Me, and Countdown, will be replaced with tongue-in-cheek voiceovers from Lawnswood students. One student cheekily compares the culinary messiness of Bake Off to the ‘messy drama’ of Educating Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, over on Channel 4’s Instagram, TikTok, and Threads accounts, Dixons Unity pupils will be given free rein to post content they’ve created about the show.
Out and about in Yorkshire, posters designed by children from Lawnswood School will pop up in familiar spots, including Trinity Shopping Centre, Leeds Rail Station, Bradford Media Wall, and Sheffield’s Meadowhall, with the locations hand-selected by students. Radio ads recorded by Lawnswood students at a professional voice over studio will also feature on Hits Radio, KISS, and Spotify.
Matthew Burton, headteacher of Thornhill Community Academy, said: “It’s been fantastic for our students to get involved in making a really unique launch film for the series, giving them the opportunity to learn and grow their skills in acting, filmmaking, and more.
“Every student who has got involved in the campaign – whether behind the camera, or in front of it - should be incredibly proud of themselves, showing their creativity and talent with full force.”
Ashley Jacobs, headteacher of Dixons Unity Academy, added: “The enthusiasm and professionalism demonstrated throughout the project was truly inspiring, and we’re proud to see their talents recognised in such a high-profile campaign.”
Jo Bell, headteacher of Lawnswood School, said: “It has been a wonderful experience for our students to be involved in the marketing campaign for Educating Yorkshire. It is clear that they gained invaluable real-world experience in media, communications, and strategic promotion.”
How did Channel 4 make Educating Yorkshire’s trailer?
The so-called ‘one take’ style of filming has become increasingly popular in the last few decades. Educating Yorkshire’s trailer was written and planned by children of Thornhill, who also star in the clip.
It was made in collaboration with Paddington in Peru director Dougal Wilson. The trailer is set to a soundtrack made by the school band.
When will Educating Yorkshire be released?
Channel 4 has confirmed that the brand new series of Educating Yorkshire will start later in August. It comes more than a decade after the previous season set at Thornhill, which aired in 2013 and had a Christmas special that year as well as a follow-up in 2014.
The exact start date will be announced in the near future. We will bring you the latest once it is announced.
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