Channel 4 has announced the cast for Schooled, the brand-new six-part comedy series from writer and creator Delia-René Donaldson and produced by Broedmachine and Group M Motion Entertainment.
Leading the cast is Shiloh Coke (Cheaters, I May Destroy You) as Kayleigh Clarke - a newly appointed Head of Year 10 with no formal teaching background and very little patience for unruly teens.
Joining her is Munya Chawawa (Sandman, Rye Lane) as ‘T’, Judi Love (Last One Laughing, Live at the Apollo, Mr Bigstuff) as Anita and Michelle De Swarte (Duchess, Spent, The Baby) as Naomi.
Also starring are Charithra Chandran (Bridgerton S2, Alex Rider) as Lara, Rebecca Humphries (Ten Percent, The Crown) as Sarah, Alex Bhat (Gentleman Jack, Chewing Gum) as Mr Waites, and Elliot Barnes-Worrell (Black Mirror, Ready Player One) as Micah.
Filming is now underway for Schooled which is inspired by Donaldson’s own experiences in pastoral care at a London academy, blending sharp humour and a heartfelt celebration of the unsung heroes of the UK education system.
At its heart, Schooled is a comedic love letter to the teachers and school support staff, following Kayleigh as she faces off with everything from Ofsted inspections and AI-generated scandals to riotous Parent’s Evenings. Despite the lack of resources, overworked staff and relentless students, Kayleigh is determined to turn her lack of credentials into a strength as she forms unexpected bonds and discovers that sometimes empathy (and maybe a bit of bribery) is the best tool for survival.
Afolabi Kuti serves as Executive Producer and the writing team includes Yemi Oyefuwa (Smothered, Dreaming Whilst Black), Tyrell Williams (Time Bandits, Hoodocumentary), and script editor Jeremy Dyson (We Are Lady Parts, The Curse, Bad Education).
Afolabi Kuti, Executive Producer at Broedmachine, says: “We’re thrilled to be working with such a wildly funny and immensely talented cast. The magic they’ve created together is a pure joy to watch. It’s all testament to Delia’s brilliant writing and the extraordinary team effort that went into casting.”
Schooled was commissioned for Channel 4 by Charlie Perkins, Head of Comedy, and Andy Brereton, Senior Commissioning Editor, Comedy. The series is funded through the Diverse Indies Fund, overseen by Vivienne Molokwu, Senior Commissioning Editor at Channel 4, and Deep Sehgal, Head of Creative Diversity at GroupM Motion Entertainment.
The series was commissioned as part of Channel 4 and GroupM Motion Entertainment’s Diverse Indies Fund, a ring-fenced fund set up to support small and medium sized ethnically diverse-led production companies to produce new projects.
Further details on transmission will be announced in due course.
