Newcastle filmmaker Tim Levy is searching for a few good stories.
Levy, who runs Blue Resonant Studios, is the producer of Catch-Up Kids, a planned documentary series that explores the stories of children, parents and teachers who could not thrive, or even survive, in the education system until something changed.
"It's about children, and their families and their teachers, going from kids who self identify as, say, 'left behind'," he said.
"So they are the sort of kids who the education system doesn't necessarily fit so well, or maybe have some learning challenges like ADHD or maybe some focus issues, or maybe mental health challenges, and the sort of kids who aren't doing well at school, aren't fitting the social scene - aren't, you know, on that main stage."
Levy began production late in 2023 and has completed interviews with education professionals. Now, he is looking for stories about children who have overcome whatever obstacles were slowing them down to complete the picture.
"I'm looking for young people, young adults. Around the ages of 15, or 18 or 20, or older, who went through something," he said.
"We are on to finding these stories that make you feel, 'that could be me', or 'that could be my kid'.
"We are looking for inspirational stories of children who defied the odds and found their groove. That's the story I want to tell, from 12 different angles."
The series
Levy knows he's not the first to recognise how education has failed so many, and he's not placing the blame squarely at the feet of educators.
"Every education system in the whole world is challenged by the same problem, which is, if you're one teacher with 30 kids, how do you give individual attention to all 30? And the answer is, it's not possible," he said.
Levy's plan for the series involved a cast of experts, children and their stories, parents and how they've been affected, how they reframe how they see their children and find their potential.
"This is not about reflecting badly on anyone - everyone is trying to do their absolute best," Levy said. "Teachers are well-intentioned... but you can't always figure out what is going on with every kid. If a child is rescued, changing that trajectory is what makes this meaningful to me."
Levy's idea for the Catch-Up Kids doco series was inspired by Storm McGrath, CEO of Kip McGrath Education Centres, a Newcastle-based supplementary education provider that has more than 550 tutoring centres in 20 countries around the world that offer small group tuition to students in English and maths.
But the story is not a promotion for Kip McGrath centres.
"This is not KME story," Levy said. "This a collaboration. This is a story about children, their parents, their teachers, about how to take a child who is feeling lost, or left behind or left out and bringing their to the their strongest potential. That is what this is about."
People who think their own story is worth consideration for the series can contact Tim Levy via email at catchup@resonant.blue
