Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What film-making activities are there in London for my child during the school holidays or after school?
  2. Am I allowed to show Certificate 18/15/12 material to underage pupils/students?
  3. Since MOMI is no longer open, can the bfi suggest any other suitable activities in London for film and media students?
  4. How can I arrange an IMAX visit for a school group?
  5. Are there any copyright regulations I need to be aware of when setting up a film club at school?
  6. How can I find the nearest cinema to me offering events or programmes for schools?
  7. Where can I get copies of TV programmes that I've missed?
  8. Where can I find out about setting up an After School Club in film-making?
  9. What does the bfi produce or recommend for the teaching of film language?
  10. What does the bfi produce or recommend for using film in the curriculum at F&KS1, KS2, KS3?
  11. What materials can the bfi suggest for the moving image coursework assignment for GCSE English?
  12. How can I get to see bfi teaching resources before I decide to purchase them?
  13. How can I arrange a group tour of the library?
  14. Where can I get advice about careers in film or television?
  15. Can the BFI send us some posters to put up in the classroom?

What film-making activities are there in London for my child during the school holidays or after school?

The NFT has an occasional programme of screenings for younger audiences, called Movie Magic. These are often accompanied by workshops, which include film-making and animation activities. Local regional cinemas often run various activities for children. Please view our External Education Contacts page for details of the venues and their Education Officers. Another useful source of information is the bfi and Skillset directory of Media and Multimedia Courses. Your local council will also have details of some of the holiday and after school clubs and activities on offer. Other organizations you may wish to contact are listed below. This list is by no means comprehensive, and will be added to over time. To add your organisation to the list, please contact the Courses & Conferences Administrator in bfi Education .

Am I allowed to show Certificate 18/15/12 material to underage pupils/students?

The certification of videos by the British Board of Film Classification does have legal force but applies only to video stores selling or renting videos to under-age kids. The cinema certification has an advisory function only, which simply allows local authorities to refuse to licence cinemas in breach of the certification guidance, should they wish to do so.

Thus, neither form of BBFC certification applies to school usage. Given that you are in loco parentis you would be within your rights to choose whatever you want to show to your pupils. If 16 or 17 year old pupils needs to see an '18' rated film, for example, for educational purposes, it would be sensible to make arrangements for them to be shown the film in a classroom setting (ie. as opposed to supplying them with a tape or disc to take home), and to obtain parental consent. You should explain clearly what you are showing and why, and make clear the terms of the BBFC certification.

Since MOMI is no longer open, can the bfi suggest any other suitable activities in London for film and media students?

  • National Film Theatre Term-time activities at the NFT include workshops and screenings of feature films and shorts for KS1 to KS4.
  • London Film Festival From October through to early November, the Times BFI London Film Festival offers a varied programme of educational events.
  • IMAX See question below for further details.
  • Guardian Newsroom Education facilities include workshops, INSETs, tours and lectures.
  • BBC studio tours Open to anyone over the age of 9, tours take place from Monday to Saturday. Price per student is £6.50 and group rates are also available. Study notes are available free from the website. Pre-booking essential.
  • Tate Modern A pleasant walk from the NFT, the permanent exhibition of the gallery is free to visit. It also offers a programme of screenings and various student activities.
  • Science Museum Media Studies Days, IMAX cinema and various exhibits including early photographic and cinematographic cameras, a replica radio station and a digital communication gallery.
  • Alexandra Palace Historical tours are available of the original BBC studios, home to the worlds first television broadcast. Tours for over 12 years only.
  • Barbican Education events include film screenings and the London Childrens Film Festival in November 2005.

Other places of interest in the vicinity of the NFT include:

You can apply for free tickets for either Television or Radio shows by accessing the following:

How can I arrange an IMAX visit for a school group?

School bookings can be made by telephoning 020 7960 3120. School groups can book for any of the IMAX's public performances or alternatively specific screenings can be arranged on Monday, Tuesday and Friday mornings at either 10:30 or 11:45 when you can choose the film from our stock that you would like screened. For further information see BFI IMAX Cinema website or email David West to request a programme and/or add schools to the mailing list.

Are there any copyright regulations I need to be aware of when setting up a film club at school?

Contact the British Federation of Film Societies for advice on 01792 481170 or email bffs-admin@sihe.ac.uk.

How can I find the nearest cinema to me offering events or programmes for schools?

See our External Education contacts page for the contact details of Education Officers at regional film theatres.

Where can I get copies of TV programmes that I've missed?

Richmond College has a video library service which can provide copies of past broadcasts for schools and colleges with an ERA licence. Please see the Richmond upon Thames College webiste for further information or contact Nick Tann on 020 8607 8423 or email videos@rutc.ac.uk.

Where can I find out about setting up an After School Club in film-making?

Cineclub is a new organisation offering opportunities for young people to make films and for teachers to learn how to manage student film-making activities in and after school hours. Go to www.cineclub.org.uk for further information.

What does the bfi produce or recommend for the teaching of film language?

There are comperehensive sections on film language, pitched appropriately, in our resource guides Starting Stories (F and KS1/ age 3-7), Story Shorts and Show Us a Story (KS2/ age 7-11), and Screening Shorts (KS3/ age 11-14). In addition we also have a guide for studying film in the English curriculum at KS4 (age 14-16) called Reading Films. We also publish a CD-ROM aimed at older students and teachers called An Introduction to Film Language, written in conjunction with Scottish Screen.

There are numerous websites and other resources set up to help students and teachers with film language. BECTA has resources on CD; Media Education Wales has produced Making Movies Make Sense - a CD guide to film language for students making their own films; there is useful support on the DV in Education site and the Kings' Cross Education Action Zone.

What does the bfi produce or recommend for using film in the curriculum at F&KS1, KS2, KS3?

bfi Education has produced compilations of short films and accompanying teaching resources to support the teaching of literacy for 3-14 year olds. The packs are called Starting Stories (3-7yrs), Story Shorts (7-11yrs) and Screening Shorts (11-14yrs). Although some aspects of the materials explicitly support literacy framework objectives in England, the films and teaching ideas and approaches are designed to work in all UK school curricula.

We also have resources to support other curricular areas: History (Film as Evidence, for 7-14 yr olds); Art and Design (Into Animation, for 11-18 yr olds; Media in Art for Art GCSE), citizenship (a free resource for 11-16 yr olds) and PSHE (Disabling Imagery, for 7-14 yr olds).

What materials can the bfi suggest for the moving image coursework assignment for GCSE English?

The bfi has two teaching guides, Reading Films and Representation, Fantasy and Realism in Films, designed to support teachers of GCSE English. Our film compilation and teaching guide, Macbeth on Film, is ideal for teaching this play at GCSE level. You can also check out our free resource, Ghost Stories on Film. Scanning Television, though not specifically designed for teaching at GCSE, provides a huge range of clips from film and television which can be used effectively.

We are currently in the process of developing a short films pack which will support teachers of GCSE English wanting to address GCSE requirements for moving image media.

In addition to our resources you can also try Film Education and the English and Media Centre. Both organisations produce useful resources which can be used to support teaching about moving image media at GCSE.

How can I get to see bfi teaching resources before I decide to purchase them?

We often run workshops and inservice training to introduce a selection of our resources. We usually attend the NATE and UKRA annual conferences where we display resources. We give quite detailed descriptions of the resources on our website, often with sample pages. You can come to the bfi National Library to view our printed publications (but not videos or DVDs). If you have particular queries about a resource or want to know if there are any forthcoming workshops, you can email Education resources.

How can I arrange a group tour of the library?

The bfi National Library has a number of Wednesday mornings free for group visits by school and college groups. These sessions are usually 10.30-12.30 and range from Library induction to in-depth research sessions, which can provide students with materials that are not easily obtainable from other sources such as the Internet. The Reading Room offers a flexible environment for studying film and television that falls neatly between the lively classroom and the monastic atmosphere demanded in a serious research library.

Library staff will be on hand to show users the best ways to research and guide them to the most relevant materials. In some cases these can even be prepared in advance. Printouts of article references can also be provided on wide range of topics, titles and people.

Please note that these sessions are booked on a first-come-first-served basis and they are very popular with some groups well into their 5th year. Book early!

To cover the costs of the Research Visits, there is a charge of £25, which may rise in 2005/6.

To check availability and/or book a visit contact Sarah Currant, Reading Room Librarian by email or phone on 020 7957 4824. Alternatively, email the bfi National Library.

Where can I get advice about careers in film or television?

Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries, offers advice on working in broadcast, film, video, interactive media and photo imaging. They have recently launched a new site (www.skillset.org/film) for people wanting to work in the UK film industry, covering all aspects from development through to exhibition.

Can the BFI send us some posters to put up in the classroom?

Sadly we are not able to supply posters for school classrooms but you can purchase at very reasonable cost, film posters from:

You can also ask at your local cinema as they may supply posters of films currently on release, free of charge."

Last Updated: Wednesday, 30-Jan-2008 12:00:12 GMT