102. H Is For Harry; movie review
Cert 12A
86 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mouthed strong language, moderate drug references
Before our son was a teacher, both Mrs W and I had believed in the stereotype of short hours and long holidays.
We simply had not grasped the dedication it takes to educate children, cajole their parents and work within ever-changing government regulations.
H is for Harry shows how marvellous teachers are but also demonstrates how, despite their very best efforts, they cannot always succeed.
It is a powerful, poignant and accurate reflection of what it really takes to be a teacher in modern-day Britain.... in an outstanding school which has high ambition.
It doesn't address how awful it must be to try to advance or even control a class in a school which requires special measures.
I digress.
This is a fly-on-the-wall documentary by Jaime Taylor and Ed Owles at the Reach Academy which is a free school in Feltham, west London.
It is a small school but has an incredibly enthusiastic and supportive staff who eat and play with their pupils as well as lead their classes.
The film alights on a year seven (11-year olds') class and shines a light on Harry - a boy with very low English ability and even lower ambitions.
Harry seems to realise that he needs to improve and shows the capability of doing so but has behavioural issues and has very little in the way of home support.
This means the school has to give him one-to-one teaching which means staff have less time for other pupils.
Division of time is just one of the issues facing the team at Reach Academy - every child and every day present their own challenges.
And that is why teachers find pressure and satisfaction in their profession in almost equal measure.
Their successes and failures make compelling viewing but this should not be seen as an advert for free schools - they are individual establishments which can be very good or bad, depending on leadership and staff.
Reasons to avoid: Is a little bit too much like an advert for free schools
Laughs: Two
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10
Did you know? In July last year, according to figures from the UK free school charity, New Schools Network, there were 393 free schools open, with 316 in the process of opening.
The final word. Jaime Taylor: "We’ve been present through the highs and lows of the school year – capturing the small details that reveal an enormous amount: the facial expressions of children who have never been told before that they are important. H is for Harry is a ‘coming-of-age’ film to encourage a discussion around education and the extent to which it can perform the miracles each new government promises.”
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