Crossing the class divide

AT least a third of the present Government came from the ranks of the privately educated and almost half of the 2012 Great Britain medal winners came from a similar background.

As a result, most of us assume you need a silver spoon start in education to achieve success. This two-part documentary features a comprehensive headteacher and three pupils exchanging places with their private counterparts to find out if public schools offer a first class advantage, and whether a state education really means second-rate.

In this unique experiment, Jo Ward, head of the 700-pupil state secondary Bemrose School in Derby, takes three of her pupils – Brett, Nazh and Qasim – to meet Mark Mortimer, who runs the 400-pupil Warminster School, a private boarding establishment in Wiltshire, and three of his own pupils – Xander, Katy and Jon.

Bemrose has an admissions policy which means more than half of new students do not speak English as their first language, and its GCSE A to C grade pass rates are less than 50 per cent.

In contrast, with annual boarding fees of more than £27,000 and facilities including a dozen tennis courts, Warminster fits the perception of many fee-paying independent schools. In part one, Mark Mortimer and his trio of pupils from Warminster visit Bemrose, where he is surprised to discover how many pupils are admitted directly from overseas. Xander goes into class with his Bemrose counterpart Brett, who says that he likes messing about in lessons for fun but admits that he realises how important education is. This programme provides a close insight into the perceived educational gulf between the two schools, the attitudes of the students and their teachers towards each other, and asks whether a private education is a ticket to a top job later in life.

Headteacher Jo Ward says: "I am really interested in what it is in private schools that is leading to more high-prestige careers, and if it is something I can replicate. And I like to think that they might learn one of two things from us as well."

After a week at Bemrose, where he gets a boost over his Maths lessons, Warminster pupil Jon says: "It just shows that state education doesn't necessary mean worse education, it just means different and different can sometimes be good."

New Tricks (BBC1, 9pm)

DANNY and Steve "welcome" new boss Ted Case into the UCOS office in Sasha's absence, but for all his experience, keen eye for detail and a killer instinct for detecting liars, they aren't as sold on his superstitious quirks. While trying to work one another out, the team treads carefully in the case of a murdered vicar who received racist hate mail in the lead up to his death. With emotions running high, it's up to Ted to pull together his new unit and keep the peace in one of UCOS's most sensitive cases. Starring Larry Lamb, Denis Lawson and Nicholas Lyndhurst.

Terror On Everest – Surviving the Nepal Earthquake (C4, 9pm)

ON April 25 this year, a massive earthquake rocked Nepal, killing more than 9,000 people and injuring around 23,000. The event triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest that wiped out another 19 by burying them under snow and ice – both at base camp and those attempting an ascent – making it the deadliest day on the mountain since records began. Half-a- million homes were also destroyed, alongside centuries of cultural artefacts and historical architecture. This documentary uses footage shot by witnesses to piece together the events of that day – one that will forever be etched in the memories of those who survived what happened. There's also a scientific explanation of the event, and an insight into whether such a catastrophe can be avoided in the future.

Viv Hardwick