Jack and I work very hard coming up with original schoolboy insults between takes, such as "Topshop Peter Sutcliffe" so the day never gets boring.

However the insults get more immature and near the mark as the shoot goes on (which is Bad Education all over to be honest).

I think each series got funnier and funnier as they went on and I think this is because Jack and co-writer Freddy Syborn attempted to see how far they could push the jokes, situations and characters.

I most certainly heightened Mitchell and made him even more outrageous and disturbed as the series progressed and all the other actors found character traits that they could play on more and more.

I remember one Saturday on set, standing on a roof top holding a dead pig, throwing it down at Jack and shouting "Eat pig -----!" 

Just after this I turned to Kae Alexander (who plays Jing) and said ”What a strange way to spend our weekend.”

It then dawned on us that this is actually our career and we get paid to throw hog roasts at people.

Working on Bad Education, you get to do things that you wouldn't get to do on any other job!

It’s not all fun and games though... one day on series two I had to stare at a naked Jack Whitehall.

He had a revolting wig on with horrendous prosthetics and only a swimming float to cover his modesty.

This went on for a good hour after lunch I nearly brought up my chilli con carne. Wasn't the nicest day.

However afterwards I got to get intimate with a CPR lifeguard training dummy so it wasn't all bad news. I really do have a strange job.

I will miss the cast, the crew and obviously playing Mitchell. I don't think I will ever get to work on a show like Bad Education again.

From the second I stepped on set to the second I wrapped I don't ever remember not laughing.

Whether I was laughing about the script or the gags or whether I was just laughing at a member of the cast or crew pratting about, I didn’t stop chuckling from start to finish (most of the time it was during a take).

I’ve also never worked on a show where I've had so much input with lines and ideas.

I'm going to miss working on a job where we start on a scene and it is completely different by the end of it, where we have just tweaked and changed so much in the script to make it even more mental and outrageous.

I'll miss Bad Education however I’ll always be as rude and immature as Mitchell so I don't have to leave him behind!

Charlie Wernham plays Mitchell in Bad Education.

Bad Education continues on Tuesday, 30 October at 10pm on BBC Three and BBC Three HD. For further programme times please see the episode guide.

More on Bad Education
BBC Three: Read Mitchell's report card
BBC TV blog: Bad Education: Giving Alfie our worst characteristics
BBC Three: Bad Education: Meet the characters 

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Obviously it was nerve-wracking joining such an established show but everyone made me feel welcome and as there’s new people coming in all the time, no one ever feels like the new guy for very long.

Simon is a dynamic character to play. On one hand, he’s ruthlessly ambitious, he doesn’t just want to be a head teacher, he wants to be THE head teacher and I wasn’t sure where this would take him. 

There’s a real drive in him that makes all of the other teachers a bit on edge. Or maybe they’re just fed up of him being such a smug git?

I think he’s a good guy. He cares about making a difference and is genuinely interested in the pupils, even if he comes across as a bit of a jobsworth at times.

Playing Simon has been an education in itself. In one scene, Simon has to step up and take control of Sue Spark’s class as she’s completely lost control.

It was through this that I learned I have an authoritative side that I’ve actually never had to call upon in my real life teaching (I teach drama to young offenders and at the Prince’s Trust).

I think a pupil/teacher relationship should be one built on trust, rather than fear and this is important no matter who you are teaching. 

I’ve always been of a firm but fair kind of mindset, but if push ever came to shove now, I’d probably just get my 'strict Simon' on.  

I think teaching can be very much like performing drama – enacting a role on stage, like a one-man play. You learn the lines, work on your delivery and make sure it is as engaging as possible so you have a captive audience.

The only difference being the stage is your classroom and you can pause to tell your audience to shut up if they’re not listening!

One of my old teachers was exactly like this. He saw his class as his theatre and when he read out stories, he put on the different voices and embellished the characters. 

I liked that as he made it so much more interesting and I often think of him when I’m reading over the scripts for Waterloo Road.

Some of my friends are teachers and they love the show because they say it’s a true representation of school life, minus the amount of visits by the emergency services!  

There’s a lot of laughter on set as the cast all get on with one another really well.  Joe Slater (Lenny Brown) and Mark Beswick (Darren Hughes) are currently keeping us all entertained with their funny dance. 

It gets more and more elaborate every time they do it (which is a LOT).

Actually I get on a little too well with Laurie Brett, who plays the head Christine Mulgrew – we’re always cracking each other up during filming. 

In fact, it’s only a matter of time before one, or both, of us get sent to detention…  

Richard Mylan plays Simon Lowsley in series nine of Waterloo Road.
 
Waterloo Road continues on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One and BBC One HD. For further programme times please see the episode guide.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

The heart of the film is in Ian and Mark's fractious relationship, but it also engages with some of the key issues and dilemmas facing both staff and pupils around the country right now.

I first heard about the project through one of its executive producers, Eleanor Moran.

We'd worked together on BBC Three drama pilot, Stanley Park, which I directed, and were discussing what next.

I was keen to find a story that was immediate, real and relevant and when Eleanor told me about Excluded, a film she was producing in a unique collaboration with the BBC's factual department for the School Season, and written by Brian Fillis (Fear of Fanny, Curse of Steptoe), I was immediately interested.

When I then read the script, I was struck by the authenticity of the classroom scenes and how Brian had managed to distinguish this film from its many formidably excellent forebears (such as Good Will Hunting or The Class), but also by how much the classroom scenes are actually about the teaching of the subject (in this case maths), rather than being all about the digressions.

In case you're wondering how ready you are to sit down to an hour of algebra, I can honestly say those are some of the most compelling bits!

So, all very exciting. The only catch was that, because of its topicality, it had to be made incredibly fast. In fact we had just eight weeks to deliver the film - around half the time one might expect to spend on a drama like this.

If that wasn't already enough of a challenge, we also had to contend with new legislation coming through over the summer.

Undeterred, our brilliant producer Caroline Levy brought on board leading experts on both Academies and exclusions to consult throughout the production so that, come September, we were sure it would be as factually accurate and bang up to date as possible.

Next, Caroline and I set out to assemble a crack team who all proved themselves more than up for the challenge. The key word for every department was "authenticity" and never more so than in casting the 50 young actors who brought the classroom scenes to life.

Our casting director Sarah Counsell had an amazing eye for completely raw talent and so when it came to casting Excluded, she eschewed theatre schools in favour of street casting and drama groups for kids who had themselves been excluded from school.

It was a major undertaking that involved workshopping literally hundreds of kids, but I hope you'll agree it was well worth the trouble, as their performances are effortlessly natural and bursting with wit and energy, despite the fact that none of them - including the lead George Whitehead - had performed in front of a camera before, let alone in a prime time BBC Two drama.

The classroom scenes were a combination of both the script and improvisation. A lot of my past work (such as La La Land, which aired on BBC Three earlier this year) has combined real life with improvisation and scripted elements and I've always been fascinated by that fault line between fact and fiction.

Improvisation often isn't appropriate, but I used it in Excluded as I felt it was essential the classroom scenes were as realistic as possible and that the way the rest of the class react and feed into the drama would be key to making those scenes convincing.

Once we had the scene working with the key cast (those with scripted lines), we'd then improvise around the scene, adding layers of reaction and asides from the rest of the class.

With the scene taking shape we'd then start shooting, but in an unconventional way - rather than working through the scene with one camera filming one actor at a time, we shot with two cameras and several microphones, so the young cast were free to speak out in a way that was natural and instinctive to them, rather than feeling they had to come in with a line at a certain point because it was written that way in the script.

We'd also improvise before and after the scene and avoid calling out loud "action" or "cut", as it all helped them relax into just being those characters, rather than switching on a performance for the camera.

The thing was, none of them had been on a film set before, they had no experience of what a "normal" shoot would be and so we took that opportunity to create a way of working that worked for them and worked for the film, rather than being bound by convention.

A lot of the credit for those scenes should also go to Bryan Dick (Ian) and Craig Parkinson (Gary) who are both brilliant and did a great job of leading the improvisations and bringing them back to the essence of Brian's vision for those scenes.

Once the decision was made to shoot the classroom scenes in this way, that in turn dictated where we shot the rest of the film and how it would look.

We had to be able to film with two cameras and follow unpredictable action, so I wanted to film on location at a real school, as on a set it's tough to look in more than one direction at the same time, and if an actor moves off their 'mark' you're likely to see the lights and crew in shot.

We shot for two weeks at The Grange School in Bristol, using parts of the building that had yet to be renovated and with many of their pupils appearing in the film as supporting cast.

I also decided to adopt a handheld, documentary-like style, partly to have that feeling of real life unfolding, but also because it made it acceptable for the lighting, framing and focus to be a little off, as it would have been a shame to lose great moments of performance just because they were less than perfect photographically.

Indeed, it's often those imperfect moments that make it feel real for me.

Excluded isn't a consummate drama with years of development and finessing behind it, but it is a great example of a film that is of its moment, written from the heart, and a story that speaks to the way we live now.

The Academies debate is changing by the week and had we made this film any less quickly, it risked feeling out of date by the time it hit the air.

It was a gamble, but with a great story and a dedicated and talented team both in front of and behind the camera, I think the result is a compelling drama that is fresh, vital and hopefully avoids hitting you over the head with its message.

Misha Manson-Smith is the director of Excluded.

Excluded is on BBC Two at 9pm and BBC HD at 10.30pm on Tuesday, 21 September.

To begin, I spoke to many educational experts and drew on my own experience as a boy at a regular state primary school. I remember our headmaster, Mr Brine, was kind but imposing.

I can recall three things about him: One - his favourite hymn was Morning Has Broken (through he preferred the Cat Stevens version). Two - he introduced me to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 (for which I'm forever grateful!) and three - he reprimanded me very severely when we were on a school trip for using a telephone without permission. I definitely deserved it.

Later on I attended Bournemouth Grammar School. The selective atmosphere suited me down to the ground because I couldn't bear to come last at anything academic. It was run on traditional lines and I think it's influenced the person I am today in a number of ways.

There was a great ethos of respect between staff and pupils - we stood when a teacher came into the room, hard work was rewarded, and there was inspiring teaching by people who loved their subjects.

Because I'm known as a choirmaster people imagine that I don't do anything else, as if all choirmasters sit around listening to music from 1605. So when I arrived at Pear Tree Mead I was worried that I would not be taken seriously by the teachers when it came to literacy.

In fact my degree was in drama with a heavy accent on the study of text so I consider myself to be fairly literate. But once you get a name for something it's hard for people to accept you trying something else - as anyone who's ever tried to change job will tell you.

This was a departure for me and that made me nervous. That and the prospect of teaching 39 boys.

I was advised that boys need to know who's in charge, what the rules are, and if they will be applied fairly. With that simple adage I progressed. I can't say I always prevailed but you have to show the boys that you are not to be trifled with.

At the same time, boys can be very sensitive and when they are scared or not getting their own way they can lash out. Training the boys to listen to each other and be respectful of each others' feelings is the work of a lifetime.

I was amazed how often boys cry over tiny things. We have this image that crying is for girls but, wow, the boys could cry at anything: Falling over, petty injustices in the playground, or just because they were not able to do something.

From talking to the experts, teachers and parents, I've become convinced that modern life is pulling boys in directions that don't necessarily help the basic skills of reading and writing.

Many boys play hours and hours of computer games every day which can be over-stimulating. By contrast a book can seem rather dull and that too much effort is required for not as much reward. In addition, children aren't allowed to roam as freely as they were in the past.

There are obviously real safety concerns about letting kids out unsupervised but too much 'cotton-wooling' is damaging for a boy's sense of self belief, and I found that if I gave them responsibility to step outside their comfort zone they really rose to the challenge.

Some of the boys were very behind in their reading. It was deeply affecting and difficult to know how to help. Several times I wondered if my approach was having anything but a detrimental effect, because as a new teacher you measure your success minute by minute.

If an activity goes well then you are elated. If it doesn't go according to plan it can leave you feeling pretty dejected and make you question yourself constantly. I think that over time teachers learn to roll with the punches.

But over the course of the term we did make a difference. I'm really proud that I tackled something that is of real importance. I'm proud of what I achieved with the boys and that the school will be taking some of my ideas forward.

I loved the excitement of the boys debating with the girls in the first programme, but camping in the school grounds was the most memorable experience. Tending the fire in the dead of night whilst the boys slept under the starlight was magical.

This has been a very busy year for me and I'm looking forward to a bit of a break. My wife - who is a teacher herself - is about to give birth to our first child and I'm absolutely convinced it'll be a boy!

Gareth Malone is the presenter of Gareth Malone's Extraordinary School For Boys.

Gareth Malone's Extraordinary School For Boys starts at 9pm on Thursday, 9 September at 9pm on BBC Two and is part of the channel's School Season of programmes.

To find out times of all episodes from this series, please visit the upcoming episodes page.

Read the BBC Parenting blog post about the programme by David Shaw, member of the BBC Parent Panel.

I am really proud to work to admissions and appeals and am totally committed to providing the best possible service to the citizens of Birmingham. During my time here, I've implemented many changes and believe our team is now much more about offering advice and guidance to both parents, their children and also to head teachers, on all aspects of school admissions.

Having children myself, it is a process I have been through, so fully understand that some parents may find this a stressful time.

Blast Films - who made The Big School Lottery - wrote to Birmingham City Council to say that they were looking to make an observational documentary to get an insight into how the admissions process works. My director, Tony Howell, asked if I would be willing to be involved and asked if I would meet with producers to discuss the programme.

At this stage I was reluctant, not only due to the additional time and effort, when we are already under immense pressure trying to help over 30,000 children and their families seeking school places, but also the thought of being on national TV.

And fellow admissions and appeals colleagues from other local authorities said, "You must be mad." I suppose as there's a natural wariness about letting cameras in!

But I was intrigued so I met with the producer/director, Amanda Blue, who was really encouraging and explained to me that the documentary would be about showing the process and the work that goes into allocating secondary places to children, as well as following the stories of several families going through the process.

After a bit of further persuasion from Tony Howell, who has been incredibly supportive, I took the brave step and agreed.

I then just had to persuade my team.

Much of our work involves talking with parents. It helps them understand if you take the time to explain to the parent that, for example, if over 1,000 children have applied for school A and the school only has an admission number of 150 places, then obviously the school cannot offer all of those children a place.

When a school is oversubscribed, places are offered in accordance with published admission arrangements. Overall priority is given to children with a statement of special educational need, followed by looked after children (in care or foster homes), then siblings and then by distance.

I will inform parents of their distance from the school and explain that X number of children live closer than their child, which is why they have not been offered a place.

My team and I take pride in our customer service and the empathy we feel for parents going through this process, and we advise them of their right of appeal and all that entails.

We often have tears and upset from the parents and even have people shouting at us, but we try to be understanding. We also have tears of joy when parents find out that their child has been offered their preferred school!

One thing I will not accept is for any of my team to be on the receiving end of abuse. Unfortunately this does happen sometimes, but in the main, after contact with my office, parents/carers understand why their child has not been offered their preferred school. They may not be happy about it, but we make sure they know what their options are.

Every year we receive cards, emails and letters from parents thanking us for our professionalism and informative and understanding service, which is fantastic - especially when some of these come from parents who have not been offered any of their preferred schools.

I really hope the viewers gain a better understanding of how the admission process works, how hard we work to ensure the process is fair and robust (for example checking home addresses), and that parents/carers know where and how to access information in order for them to make informed decisions about how to apply for a school place.

Julie Newbold is head of admissions and appeals at Birmingham City Council and features in The Big School Lottery.

The Big School Lottery starts on Tuesday, 7 September at 9pm on BBC Two and is part of the channel's School Season.

You can read Lesley Wilson's post on the BBC parents' blog about her experience as a mother going through the admissions process on The Big School Lottery.

To find out all future episodes of The Big School Lottery please visit the show's upcoming episode page.