UK: Malone's Extraordinary School For Boys

Story here. Excerpt:

'Gareth Malone has never been one to shy away from a challenge. He made his name on TV as the choirmaster in BBC Two's The Choir, a series which saw him bring together people from all walks of life and turn them into accomplished singers.

However back in April Gareth took on one of his toughest challenges yet, as he took over the reins of a primary school class for a term, helping to reinvigorate the educational experience for a group of 39 boys from an Essex school. Many of these likely lads hadn’t been fulfilling their educational potential, a story that can be found up and down the country as boys continue to lag behind girls in terms of literacy.

With the head teacher’s full consent, Gareth sets to work attempting to meet the challenge of increasing the boys’ reading age by six months in just eight short weeks. It’s a tough ask, and TV’s Mr Nice’s efforts make for fascinating viewing. You'll marvel at his tricks, which include special lessons, cleverly devised competition and infectious enthusiasm.'