Bad Education: release date, plot, cast, will Jack Whitehall return for season 4, how to watch reunion special

Bad Education will soon be back on BBC Three, the hit comedy series is set to return with a brand new series and cast for the first time in 10 years.

Written by Jack Whitehall, who played the role of teacher Alfie Wickers, season 4 will see a brand new intake of students begin their education at Abbey Grove, with two former classmates, Stephen (Layton Williams) and Mitchell (Charlie Wernham) now on the other side of the desk as newly qualified teachers.

Bad Education recently returned to our screens in December for a one-off Christmas special written by Whitehall and Freddy Syborn, featuring Mr Wickers saying an emotional goodbye to Class K.

So, when will Bad Education season 4 be released and what can we expect from the new season? Here’s everything we know so far.

When will Bad Education season 4 be released?

The new season of Bad Education will be released on Sunday 15 January on BBC Three.

What is the plot?

Written by Whitehall, the comedy series ran for three seasons from 2012 until 2014, following the story of Mr Wickers (Jack Whitehall) and his unruly form students named Class K. The series was followed by a movie in 2015 which has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 63%.

Bad Education returned in December for a one-off Christmas special written by Whitehall and Freddy Syborn, featuring Mr Wickers.

However, season 4 of the series will see a brand new intake of students begin their education at Abbey Grove, with two former classmates, Stephen (Layton Williams) and Mitchell (Charlie Wernham) now on the other side of the desk as newly qualified teachers.

Reported by Comedy, series co-creator Syborn described the new season was “for a whole new generation”. He said: “It’s been such a joy to work with Charlie and Layton again, as well as our room of new writers. Jack and I really hope that everyone will fall in love with our brilliant Class K 2.0, and we’re excited for a whole new generation to discover the show for the first time.”

Is there a trailer?

BBC Three has not yet released an official trailer, but the channel have shared a clip of the reunion special which aired in December 2022 and features an emotional goodbye from Mr Wickers.

Will Jack Whitehall be returning to Bad Education?

Whitehall will not be returning to season 4 as Mr Wickers, whilst he was featured in the Christmas reunion special, it saw him say goodbye to his class, marking the end of his teaching career at Abbey Grove. The series creator will stay on as executive producer behind the screen.

In an interview with the BBC, actor Layton Williams (The Cleaner) who will be moving from the role of student to teacher commented on Whitehall leaving the series as Mr Wickers.

He said: “Jack’s been so generous.” Adding: “Obviously, he’s busy being a superstar and can’t commit to it. But to hand that baton over to me… I’m really appreciative of him giving me the chance. I hope I’ve done him proud.”

Who will star in Bad Education?

Season 4 of Bad Education will feature familiar faces including Layton Williams and Charlie Wernham’s (Break) characters returning to sit on the other side of the desk. Mathew Horne (Gavin & Stacey) will also be back as Mr Fraser, although he will no longer be the school’s headteacher.

New characters will include a brand new headteacher, Ms Hoburn who is played by Vicki Pepperdine (Getting On) and students including Bobby Johnson (The Bike Thief) as Harrisonand Laura Marcus (BBC Laugh Lessons) as Jinx.

Here is the cast for Bad Education season 4:

• Layton Williams as Stephen
• Charlie Wernham as Mitchell
• Mathew Horne as Mr Fraser
• Vicki Pepperdine as Ms Hoburn
• Asha Hassan as Usma
• Anthony J Abraham as Inchez
• Bobby Johnson as Harrison
• Laura Marcus as Jinx
• Ali Hadji-Heshmati as Warren
• Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Blessing

How can I watch Bad Education reunion?

All previous episodes of Bad Education, including the latest holiday reunion special are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Season 4 of Bad Education will be returning to BBC Three on Sunday 15 January. Actor Charlie Wernham who will reprising his role as Mitchell, took to Twitter to share the news, telling fans that all six episodes of the new series will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.