School of Silence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids School of Silence |
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| Genre | Comedy Children’s Game show |
| Written by | George Sawyer (Series 1), Gray Croft (Series 2) |
| Directed by | Ollie Brack (Series 1), Jack Jameson (Series 2) |
| Presented by | Barney Harwood (Series 1 Presenter), Simon Greenall (Series 2 Narrator) |
| Composer(s) | Dobs Vye |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 33 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Damon Pattison, Steve Pinhay (Series 1), Mike Griffiths (Series 2) |
| Producer(s) | Rob Hyde (Series 1), Matt Smith (Series 2) |
| Production location(s) | Glasgow, BBC Pacific Quay (BBC Scotland) |
| Editor(s) | Manus Fraser (Series 1) |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Lucky Day Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One (Series One), CBBC |
| Original release | 14 September 2009 – 13 April 2012 |
School of Silence was a fun British TV show for kids on CBBC. It ran from 2009 to 2013. The show was all about a group of super noisy children. They were sent to a special place called the "School of Silence." Here, they had to learn how to be quiet!
The first season was hosted by Barney Harwood. For the second season, Simon Greenall took over as the narrator.
How the School Works
At the School of Silence, kids had three classes. After these classes, they took a final exam. The headmistress, Miss Gobstop, used a special machine. It was called the "Gobstop 2000" (or "Gobstop 3000" in season two). This machine helped her check how noisy the students were.
If students passed their final exam, they graduated! In the first season, they won a "Golden Gobstopper." In the second season, they got prizes from a special "confiscated cupboard." But if they failed, they were sent home. In season one, failing students got a whoopee cushion. In season two, they got no prize at all.
The Teachers and Their Classes
Mr. Gross's Class
Mr. Gross taught the first class in both seasons. His challenges were often messy and funny.
- Flying Toilet Paper: Kids threw wet toilet paper at a target.
- Maggots Foot Spa: A chosen student put their bare feet into a tub of maggots.
- Gunge Boot: Another foot challenge, but with slime-filled boots.
- Compost Ball Roulette: A child cracked a ball on their forehead. It was filled with either gunge or flour!
- Slush Avalanche: One student poured freezing cold ice down a friend's back.
- Hairy Scary Werewolf and Pink Poodle: A child was covered in treacle and fake hair.
Nora Nugget's Class (Season 1)
In the first season, the second class was with Nora Nugget. Her assistant was Britney Biscuit. Their challenge involved food. Students mixed different foods together. Then, one student had to eat the strange mix they created!
Miss Adventure's Class (Season 2)
For season two, Nora and Britney were replaced. Miss Adventure, a geography teacher and explorer, took over. Her class had funny challenges like:
- Getting custard pies thrown in their faces.
- Having their faces painted.
- Riding adults dressed up as camels!
Mrs. Bunsen's Class (Season 1)
In season one, Mrs. Bunsen taught the third class. Her challenges were all about science.
- Human Carwash: A student got covered in shaving foam, gunge (acting as wax), and then sprayed with water.
- Instant Snowman: A child wore a black felt shirt. Their friends threw fake snow at them to see if it would stick.
Mr Les Prance's Class (Season 2)
In season two, Mr Les Prance taught the third class. He was a performing arts teacher. His challenges were theatrical and often silly.
- Students copied exercise routines while their ankles were tied together.
- They performed ballet with dog toys strapped to their shoes.
The Final Exam
The final exam was the last test to see if students could stay silent.
Colonel Kittens (Season 1)
In the first season, Colonel Kittens supervised the final exam. Students were put in stocks without shoes. For 90 seconds, they were tickled on their bare feet. The teacher also made funny faces to try and make them laugh or scream.
The Professor (Season 2)
In the second season, Colonel Kittens was replaced. A German professor called "The Professor" took over, with his puppet assistant, ‘Herr Helmut’. In their final exam, students were strapped to chairs. They faced challenges like being sprayed with Silly String, hit with pies, and covered in Gunge.
Characters
Series 1 Characters
- Miss Gobstop - Headmistress (played by Natacza Boon)
- Mr Gross - Form Tutor (played by George Sawyer)
- Nora Nugget - Chief Dinner Lady (played by Daniel Wiltshire)
- Britney Biscuit - Nora's Silent Assistant (played by Jolana Lee)
- Miss Bunsen - Science Teacher (played by Nicole Davis)
- Colonel Kittens - Army Colonel (played by George Sawyer)
- Nurse - The School Nurse (played by Jolana Lee)
Series 2 Characters
- Miss Gobstop - Headmistress (played by Natacza Boon), she was away for two episodes.
- Mr Gross - Form Tutor and Deputy Headmaster for two episodes (played by George Sawyer)
- Miss Adventure - Explorer (played by Susan Calman)
- Mr Les Prance - Performing Arts Teacher (played by Junior Simpson)
- The Professor - German Science Professor (played by Billy Kirkwood)
- Nurse - The School Nurse (played by Leah MacRae)
- Hammy the Hamster - The School's Hamster (voiced by Dave Chapman)
