Up to 300,000 young people leaving secondary schools in England each year with less than five GCSES (grades A*-C, including English and Maths).   

Dispatches investigates whether the size, design and organisation of comprehensive schools is a key factor in how pupils fare. James Wetz, author of the film, former head teacher at two large comprehensive schools and now an education researcher at Bristol University believes many school-children struggle in large comprehensives and are failed by the current system – despite the best efforts of teachers.  

Many of these children were doing well in their education at the age of 10 or 11 - the turning point came as they joined their secondary schools.   

Are the giant new schools now being built all over Britain, in the biggest school building programme since Victorian times, the best way to engage these disaffected pupils, to improve standards and reduce truancy and exclusion rates?  

Dispatches examines alternative models of schooling in the UK and the USA . Many pioneering schools in the USA are creating smaller teaching groups, consisting of just 300 children. These groups are achieving much better results, with happier and more engaged pupils.

Wetz visits the highly successful small ‘pilot’ schools in Boston , USA and discovers that there are now long waiting-lists for these schools even though they are situated in socially-deprived areas.   He also looks at ‘Urban Academies’  in New York and talks to Professor Tony Wagner of Harvard, a driving force and leading voice for the small schools model in America and recent schools advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  

New schools in the south of Bristol are pioneering ideas to combat truancy and exclusion rates. ‘ Brislington Enterprise College ’ is still under construction at a cost of £30 million – and will replace a large dilapidated comprehensive – but under the new plans will house five smaller schools within a school.  

What is the economic viability of the smaller schools? leading school architect Peter Clegg who has designed many new academies, is now costing James Wetz’s idea of an ‘urban village school’ for areas of urban deprivation in Britain .   

What about the real cost to British society, in creating an underclass of young people, who feel they have no stake in society because they left secondary school  with no qualifications?  

I really hope you can join us for for what should be a stimulating evening.  Please get in touch if you require any further information – lwindmill@channel4.co.uk