Comprehensive School

The joys of 1960s modern education - as seen at a not-exactly-typical local comp.

This film presents a brave new world of British education to overseas viewers. What it neglects to mention is that the school it's filmed at wasn't just any old comp...Holland Park School, in wealthy London W8, was pretty much the flagship school for the whole comprehensive sector, sometimes dubbed the 'socialist Eton' due to Labour politicians' tendency to send their children there.

This film was part of a series called Looking at Britain, produced from 1958 to 1961. Commissioned by the Colonial Office through the COI, it was intended mainly for distribution to African countries and was little-seen by UK viewers. The films were made on fairly modest budgets by 'economy' production companies. Witness the rather barebones style of this one, its silent images illustrating colourless - though informative - prose. But as a time capsule of the cutting edge of state education in the early 60s it can't be beat.