Where is Sex Education filmed? Filming locations of final season of Netflix comedy drama - is it a real school

The fourth and final season of Sex Education comes to Netflix this month, with series stars Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa and more returning.

The new series features several big changes - the characters of Jakob, Ola, and Lily will not return following the events of season three, Moordale School has closed, and Maeve has set off to pursue her studies in America.

The will they won’t they between Maeve and Otis is set to continue, as this time they will try to make their long distance relationship work, but with Ruby still at school with Otis, things could get messy.

Eric is on a spiritual journey as he tries to reconcile his identity with his church, and Adam leaves school behind to embark on a practical career, whilst also making inroads with his dad, who is trying to become a better man.

With the characters all headed off in different directions, the filming locations of the series have expanded, but the biggest change is the all new school.

Where was Sex Education season 4 filmed?

The style of the school featured in Sex Education is very Americanised and indeed the series took plenty of inspiration from US high school dramas of the 1980s, but the series is actually set and filmed in the UK.

Most of seasons one to four of Sex Education were filmed in the picturesque Welsh village of Llandogo on the Wye Valley. The village, which has a population of fewer than 600, is on the border between Wales and England.

In the first three seasons of the show, Moordale High School scenes were shot at a disused University of Wales in Caerleon, about 20 miles south west of Llandogo. However, as the school closed in the season three finale, and Otis and co now attend the swanky Cavendish College, the main filming location changed.

Cavendish scenes were shot at St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff, a popular heritage museum and tourist trap. Additionally, the new season will see Maeve travel to the US to continue her studies on a gifted and talented programme. But Maeve actress Emma Mackey didn’t have to travel far to film as her scenes were shot in Tetbury.

Exterior shots of her prestigious new school were filmed at Westonbirt School in Gloucestershire, and internal shot’s for her teacher’s office and lessons were filmed at the Wills Memorial Building at Bristol University. 

Jean and Otis’s iconic large house also returns for the final season. The property is a B&B, The Chalet, in the village of Symonds Yat, north of Llandogo. The property is currently available to book, though a four night stay will set you back over £3,000.

Adam Groff decides not to return to school in season four, instead looking for a job that he can find joy in - after being handed a leaflet about a farming internship, he begins to work at a farm with horses, despite being terrified of them. The farm scenes were shot in Abergavenny, a market town to the west of Llandogo. 

What is the season 4 release date?

Season four of Sex Education will land on Netflix on Thursday 21 September - there are eight episodes in the season including an 80 minute finale, and all episodes will be released in one go. Season four will be the final season of the show.