The explosive schoolyard drama is back with season 3 of The Teacher, and brand-new episodes are streaming now on Channel 5, with viewers absolutely hooked.
Starring Victoria Hamilton, the latest season dives headfirst into the beloved boomer concept of being “woke.” New drama teacher Helen Simpson quickly finds herself at odds with student Cressida Bancroft, who accuses her of being a “woke warrior” simply to boost her popularity. Cressida is determined to turn everyone against Helen, and isn’t above using her new teacher's family to do it. When a student dies under tragic circumstances, she sees the perfect opportunity to manipulate the situation to her advantage, escalating the tension to shocking new heights.
While the drama is set predominantly in a school, there’s a twist behind the cameras: The Teacher wasn’t filmed in a real school at all, and surprisingly, it wasn’t filmed in the UK.
The third instalment of the anthology series has viewers saying the same thing.
Where was The Teacher season 3 filmed?
Despite being set in Sheffield and the Peak District, The Teacher was filmed primarily in northern Spain. All of the classroom scenes were shot in Vitoria-Gasteiz, a charming city in the Basque Country known for its rugged, rustic landscapes. Victoria Hamilton’s other series The Game, and the recent hit Girl Taken, were both filmed in Vitoria.
Steve Edge, who plays Helen’s husband, described the location as “a very Spanish place with very few tourists.”
Rochenda Sandall, who plays fellow teacher Tessa Stewart, added: “We were out there for two months… so all of the Basque Country was available to us, it was amazing.” She also revealed that the school itself was “an old church that was recommissioned and converted into an art college.” You wouldn't guess!
Although most of The Teacher season 3 was filmed in northern Spain, the production used a UK location for the school’s exterior. Cheetham Hall itself isn’t a real school; instead, Fanhams Hall, a luxury hotel and wedding venue near Stansted Airport in Hertfordshire, stood in for the iconic exterior shots.
As for Helen’s home, those scenes were filmed about a forty-five-minute drive from Fanhams Hall, in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire.
This picturesque village sits on the edge of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and forms part of the London commuter belt. The property used — Apple Tree Farmhouse on Dog Kennel Lane — boasts six bedrooms, offering the perfect backdrop for the teacher’s on-screen life.
Not to give too much away, but the prison featured in the final episode is actually a historic jail that closed in 2013 and now operates as a tourist attraction. Shrewsbury Prison, completed in 1793, is a popular filming location for TV and film productions, including Silent Witness.
Given that the show is set in Sheffield, it’s no surprise that production included plenty of skyline shots of the city, including views over Park Square Bridge. Panoramic scenes of central Sheffield were also captured from Meersbrook Park, highlighting landmarks such as Sheffield Town Hall, St Paul’s Church, and Sheffield Midland Station. However, the cast did not film any scenes on location in the city itself.
Why was The Teacher filmed in Spain?
It may seem like an unusual choice to film a quintessentially British boarding school in northern Spain, but it’s actually a common practice for UK-based TV shows. Basically, it comes down to a financial decision.
Spain markets itself as the “California of Europe,” offering strong financial incentives to attract film and TV projects. The country provides a 30% tax rebate on the first €1 million of local spend, with even higher incentives available in certain regions.
The Basque Country is particularly generous, offering rebates of up to 60% for productions that meet specific spending thresholds, with an additional 10% available for projects filmed in the Basque language. And you can bet the cast aren't complaining about the sunny break!
Beyond the financial perks, northern Spain is prized for its distinctive visual style. Its rugged landscapes and atmospheric architecture offer a striking contrast to the sunny stereotype of the country, giving productions a versatile backdrop that works for a wide range of genres.
Watch The Teacher on Channel 5.
