Teacher-turned-comedian Natalie Haynes thinks pupils and staff alike would benefit if schools were given an injection of humour. To assess her theory she travels the country in an attempt to discover the scientific and pedagogical truth behind her supposition, and along the way reveals some key pointers on how to make comedy in the class work. To help Natalie out with her investigation she chats with some her showbiz comedy pals. Tim Vine sheds light on how teachers can get their pupils to write more concisely. The star of the BBC sitcom 'Not Going Out' broke the world-record for quick-fire gag telling by delivering 499 one-liners in an hour. Natalie also talks to children's comedian James Campbell, fellow teacher-turned-comic Shazia Mirza, and the man who has played it straight for forty years on Radio 4's Just a Minute, Nicholas Parsons. She finds out how one Liverpool School, Alsop High School, tried out comedy in class, with mixed results.

Video Series: School Matters
Release Date 2008