David Blunkett was once Secretary of State for Education. At times he had an uneasy relationship with the teaching profession. Now he's attempting to teach an A-level poetry class for the first time in his life. He is passionate about the romantic poetry of Christina Rossetti, a passion not shared by the pupils. As the class begins, the students and their new teacher have a frank and revealing conversation about blindness and poetic imagery. The class is monitored by the school's Head of English, Elena Soto, who's anxious that Mr Blunkett experience what life in an overheated inner-city Victorian school building is really like for the teachers who have to work there every day. It proves to be a very engaging encounter, revealing a side of David Blunkett not previously seen.

Video Series: Teaching Challenge
Release Date 2006