Kes, the best film ever made about education, is on tonight (Channel 4 11.05). Well worth taping to show to your students. Written by a teacher (Barry Hines) it contains several scenes that illustrate what it was like to be in a secondary modern school after the war. Although made in 1969 it still raises all the important issues about schooling that are still relevant today.

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0064541/

You might be interested in knowing that David Bradley, who played Billy Casper in Kes, is still a successful actor. He was on television last night in the Mayor of Casterbridge (Councillor Vall). His 19th century face means he is often used in costume dramas: Nicholas Nickleby (Bray), Our Mutual Friend (Rogue Riderhood), Vanity Fair (Sir Pitt Crawley), Martin Chuzzlewitt (David Crimple), etc. He is also Argus Filch in the Harry Potter films.