A Walthamstow secondary school will star in the newest series of Channel 4’s Educating series, it was announced today.

Frederick Bremer School, in Siddeley Road, was chosen because it "is at the heart of the community, it embraces its diversity and its students are warm, friendly and funny," a network spokeswoman said.

Headteacher Jenny Smith said: “I am incredibly proud to be the head of a school which is so successful in supporting and nurturing every pupil to become successful and responsible citizens.

“It is our privilege to serve the vibrant, integrated and ambitious community of Walthamstow and I am confident that Bremer will represent how committed community schools such as ours are to ensuring that every pupil is given every opportunity to succeed.

“Most of all, I’m looking forward to the series celebrating how talented our young people are.”
She added that both previous series had transformed public perceptions of secondary schools and that she believes Bremer will do so too.

The title of the documentary, which will air later this year, is undecided.

The two previous series of the programme, Educating Essex and Educating Yorkshire, were hugely popular programmes, the latter being Channel 4’s highest rating series of 2013, peaking at 4.8m viewers and generating half a million tweets.

Its final episode, in which student Musharaf, who had a severe stammer, delivered a moving speech to schoolmates, was named TV Moment of the Year by Radio Times.

Bremer, an engineering specialist school which opened in 2008, is well placed to provide an insight into the “rapidly changing” local landscape which includes a "vibrant creative and artistic culture", a Channel 4 spokeswoman added, building on the legacy of the Olympics which were staged only a few miles away.

The spokeswoman also said the vision and drive of ambitious headteacher Jenny Smith and her staff were recognised for bringing rapid and considerable improvements in teaching and student progress.

After inspections in September the school was rated by Ofsted as “requires improvement” but the headteacher said she is determined to raise it to “good” within two years.

The TV programme, which places fixed cameras throughout the school, will document the lives of students and teachers as they work towards exams.

Executive producer at Twofour, the production company commissioned by Channel 4, David Clews said: “We’re so excited to be working with Jenny Smith and her team.

“As soon as you walk into the school you feel this inspiring atmosphere, it’s a place full of warmth, energy and compassion.

“Sharing the stories of some of the students will be such a privilege.”