AVeryPublicEducationwillseetheheadteacherandasmallgroupofYear9and10pupilsfromonestatesecondaryschoolandoneprivate,boardingsecondaryschoolswappingplacestospendaweekimmersedintheschoollifeoftheother.
Byfilmingtheexperiencesandreactionsoftheindividualsinvolvedandthosearoundthemineachschool,theseriesaimstoprovideaninsightintosomeofthekeydifferencesbetweenthetwosectorsatatimewheneducationisapoliticalbattlefieldandthebroadperceptionisofagulfinstandardsbetweenthem.
Withmorethanathirdofthecurrentcabinethavingemergedfromfee-payingschoolsandregularreportsaboutstateschoolpupilsfallingbehindtheirprivately-educatedcounterpartsinlandingplacesatthebestuniversitiesandthebestjobs,theprogrammeswillsetouttoexplorethesocial,economicandeducationalchallengesanddifferencesthatfacebothgroups.But,overthetwoepisodes,itwillalsoseektohighlightsharedexperiencestoseewhattheycanpotentiallylearnfromeachother.
ThetwoschoolsinvolvedareTheBemroseSchool,inDerbyandWarminsterSchool,inWiltshire.Bothschoolsaremixedgenderandthepupilstakingpartintheswaparedrawnfrompupilsaged13-15fromYears9and10.