Ctrl C + Ctrl V

Written by Maz Kanchwala

INT: CLASSROOM – MORNING
ALFIE and MADDIE sit at separate desks in a classroom.
TEACHER 1 stands at the front of the class teaching a
very boring topic. The camera is FOCUSED on ALFIE who is
doodling while the rest of the room is out of focus.
TEACHER 1
(always speaking monotonously)
School stuff blah blah blah [fill in
later or just read a couple lines of a
textbook page]
Camera focuses on the whole WIDE SHOT.
TEACHER 1 (O.S)
Right class;
Camera PANS LEFT to show Teacher 1.
TEACHER 1
You don’t get teacher assessed grades
this year, so I hope you are studying
hard for your exams.
Camera PANS LEFT again to show Maddie. TEACHER 1 drones
on in the background. She tries to concentrate on taking
notes, but STUDENT 1 keeps huffing and sighing.
MADDIE
(irritatedly turns to STUDENT 1)
What is it?!
STUDENT 1
(slouching in their seat, head in hands,
quite annoyed)
Ugh! I’m so annoyed about those stupid
teacher grades, I literally did nothing
all year thinking we didn’t have to do
any exams!
Camera PULLS FOCUS onto Maddie making the rest of the
class fade to a blur. She leans back into her work.
MADDIE
(to herself as she makes more notes)
 Wish I could say the same.

INT/EXT: CAFETERIA/BENCH - LUNCH

ALFIE is sitting with FRIEND 1.
FRIEND 1
I was joking looking at this one random
uni website in Finland but OH MY GOD
their school system is immaculate. It’s
like the government actually cares about
its students. The Ministry of education
literally said, and I quote, “learning
not for school – but for life”. Do you
know how much better off society would
be if …
Someone walks past the camera covering the entire shot to
transition to MADDIE and FRIEND 2.
FRIEND 2
Vocational subjects are valued too.
Nearly half of their students go into
vocational training after basic
education, which by the way receives
just as much government funding as high
achieving academic schools. And all
schools are also …
CUT to ALFIE and FRIEND 1
FRIEND 1
“Out of the classroom, into the world.”
That’s a direct quote from the
government. They care a lot about how
lessons will benefit you in the future;
not just (imitating teacher) ‘Learn this
because it will be in the exam.’
ALFIE
Haha, yeah that so stupid.
FRIEND 1
Oh yeah and teaching is such a popular
career there that they have the option
to only train the most suitable people
into what their site called ‘capable and
 committed’ teachers. Literally all their
teachers have a masters …
They walk past a pillar which is used to transition to
MADDIE and FRIEND 2.
FRIEND 2
Degrees! Everything up to AND INCLUDING
degree level education is free! They
don’t have private schools so rich kids
can get smarter than the rest . Finland
is ranked as the second most fair
country for students.
MADDIE
(slightly confused)

I'm glad you’re excited about this but

why DO you know so much about Finnish
school?
FRIEND 2
I’m looking into Finland’s education
system for my English speech.
MADDIE
(nodding once in understanding)
Oh that’s cool.

INT: CAFETERIA – LUNCH TIME

MADDIE sits at a table with her laptop open opposite
STUDENT 2, who is reading a text book.
STUDENT 2
Ugh! The deadline for a level choices is
coming up idk what I wanna do yet.
MADDIE
(paying more attention to her laptop
than the convo)
Mm hmm, yeah same
STUDENT 2
 Literally most of my form froup have
chosen, I’m low-key worried I won’t make
the deadline.
MADDIE
(distant, definitely not listening)
That’s nice.
STUDENT 2
You’re not listening, are you? What’s
going on, clearly somethings bothering
you.
MADDIE
(finally looking up and closing laptop
lid)
Yeah I suppose. It’s just all these uni
websites. They're so full of courses
that all require different
qualifications. There’s just so … much.
STUDENT 2
Of course YOU’RE worrying about uni
stuff now. What do you even want to be?
MADDIE
I actually haven’t thought about it.
STUDENT 2
(mockingly and shook)
You're telling me maddie the a star
student doesn’t know what she wants to
be.
MADDIE
(slightly offended)
Yeah I guess so. I never really have the
time to find hobbies that last or figure
out what really interests me cause I’m
always too busy revising for some test
or exam.
She sits up more to lean towards STUDENT 2, trying open
up via body language.
 Getting top grades is all I’ve been able
to think about lately. I mean my parents
have such high expectations I guess it's
been adding more pressure than my stress
levels can handle, so I’ve been studying
non-stop.
STUDENT 2
(going on their phone disinterestedly)
At least you’re smart though.
MADDIE sighs and rolls her eyes a little as she leans
back into her chair.

INT: CLASSROOM – LUNCH TIME

ALFIE sits by the window reading his report card on his
phone. STUDENT 3 sits next to him.
STUDENT 3
(annoyed)
Oh, great! I got a 5 in maths.
ALFIE
Oh, that’s good isn’t it?
STUDENT 3
Are you serious, a 5’s rubbish! It may
be good for you but I have higher
standards
ALFIE
Hey, grades aren’t all that count.
STUDENT 3
You’re kidding, if you think that you’re
gonna find yourself at a dead end real
soon. You can’t even do a levels if you
fail GCSEs.
ALFIE
Wait seriously, how am I supposed to
plan my future career path if I’m not
even sure I’ll make to the next stage of
school.
 STUDENT 3
I mean you can google it but pretty sure
you have to keep retaking at least maths
and English till you pass. Unless you
plan on working at Macy's all your life.
ALFIE
That’s so unfair, I’m not dumb, exams
just aren’t how I learn. UGH I hate
this.

INT/INT: EXAM PERIOD – MONTAGE

--Maddie sits in a study area revising with books strewn
across the table, headphones on.
--Alfie sits cross legged on the floor trying to
understand his notes (which all have doodles along the
margins).
--Maddie drinks from a mug and looks tired while trying
to continue studying.
--Alfie lies on his back holding a textbook above his
face in the air.
--SPLITSCREEN Maddie sits at a desk doing an exam (PUSH
IN OR DOLLY ZOOM IN?)/(PUSH OUT OR DOLLY ZOOM OUT?) Alfie
sits at a desk doing an exam.
--Close up of Maddie reaching for results envelope/Close
up of Alfie reaching for results envelope.
--Snappy transition to a SPLIT SCREEN as they both
sharply pick up their results. Then they slowly open the
envelopes and react.

EXT: COURTYARD – DAY

ALFIE sits on a bench alone, with his sketchbook open and
his pens and pencils spilling out his pencil case. ART
TEACHER walks past but stops to admire ALFIE’s work.
ART TEACHER
You have some real talent, are you
taking any creative courses.
ALFIE
No my parents want me to take sensible
subjects so I can go to university
ART TEACHER
It’s important to remember that what you
do with your life is up to you, do
things that inspire you, make you
excited.
ALFIE
I’d like to but my parents won’t let me
because they both barely have any
qualifications and don’t want me to end
up like them. Plus they don’t think art
would help me become a doctor or lawyer
or something.
ART TEACHER
Is that want you want to be?
ALFIE
Not really, I want to be an artist but
apparently that’s ‘a hobby not a
career’. And anyway, how can even get a
solid job with art a level, it’s kinda
useless, isn’t it?
ART TEACHER
Well, if you’re worried about getting
into the industry you could always apply
for a vocational course. You can get
lots of practical experience that way.
ALFIE
What’s that, I’ve never heard of it
before.
ART TEACHER
Well, one of the biggest differences
from traditional a levels is the way
you’re tested and learn; vocationals are
usually majority coursework and
practical projects. Work experience is
also an integral part of these courses,
so you’re not just thrown in the deep
end when you start looking for work. You
can still go to university if you wish
 with these courses too, but most people
are ready to go straight into an entry
level job.
ART TEACHER’s voice fades out into the main soundtrack
and the image blurs. STATISTICS AND/OR FACTS about
vocational education are displayed in front of the
blurred footage.

INT: CLASSROOM – DAY

MRS RAYNE sits at her desk writing something down. MADDIE
opens the door and pokes her head round.
MRS RAYNE
Ah Maddie, come on in.
MADDIE
(walking to the desk and sitting down)
You emailed saying you wanted to discuss
something with me?
MRS RAYNE
Yes, I know you’re unsure what you want
to do career wise so U thought I'd help
u with work experience.
MADDIE
Oh that’s really nice of you but I
already have a job on the weekends.
MRS RAYNE
(amused)
Oh no not a paid job. Work experience is
a sort of trial period. You can get work
experience all over, in hospitals, law
firms, offices and more hands-on jobs
too. I can set you up to shadow some
people working for a couple days.
MADDIE
That sounds amazing, I’m having a hard
time deciding what sort of industry to
go into. This will be so helpful.
MRS RAYNE
 (pulling out some materials.)
Great, so I have this...
MRS RAYNE’s voice fades out into the main soundtrack and
the image blurs. STATISTICS AND/OR FACTS about education
in the UK are displayed in front of the blurred footage.