Learning in lockdown

How a new series explores the challenges faced by students during the pandemic

- TESS LAMACRAFT

What is it like to be a secondary-school pupil studying for important exams in the middle of a global pandemic? This is the question explored in C4’s new documentary, Sixteen: Class of 2021. The four-part series follows a group of Year 11 students as they prepare to sit their GCSE exams at The Link Academy in Dudley, West Midlands, while also coping with the challenges and disruption to their lives and education caused by COVID-19.

The classmates were given their own cameras to record their final year of school through personal video diaries, and among those to take part is 16-year-old Sade (above).

Here, she shares her memories from this extraordinary period with TV Times...

How did you feel as the UK went into its first lockdown?

It was so unreal. You just never expect something like that to happen. The hardest things were that nothing was open and having to stay at home. I really missed seeing my friends. I was constantly bored. We did a lot of Snapchatting on our phones.

What else did you find difficult during the lockdowns?

Not having any routines was hard. In the first lockdown, I used to sleep all day and stay awake for the night. And all the homeschooling was hard.

Was it tricky to stay motivated with your school work?