Doctor Who has been used as a subject for educational purposes a number of times over the years, and next week will see its latest contribution as part of the BBC Learning's micro:bit initiative with a Live Lession taking place from 11:00am on the 28th March:

The Time Lord, the TARDIS and the micro:bit

The BBC micro:bit will be put to the test at the controls of the TARDIS in this special Live Lesson in collaboration with the team behind Doctor Who.

This lesson is aimed at 11-13 year olds, and is devised around computational thinking skills. We'll be exploring search algorithms, different types of errors and the components that go into an algorithm, with guest experts from the fields of web search and computer gaming.

Using their BBC micro:bit, students will be challenged to solve a fictional disaster scenario while coming face to face with one of the Doctor’s deadliest foes.

• Teacher Guide
• Lesson materials

The BBC micro:bit is a tiny computer processor designed to be used to teach coding concepts to children, with the BBC Live Lessons providing interactive participation in the classroom. Sessions are created for both primary and secondary schools, incorporating scientific, cultural and entertainment themes all with the aim to make learning to code fun.


Full details of the Doctor Who lesson can be found via the BBC's lesson website, and the live session will be available to review via the BBC iPlayer afterwards.

Related Articles: Script to Screen (29 Mar 2011); Script to Sceeen returns (12 Jan 2012)

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The BBC have launched the 2012 Script to Screen Competition which will give one lucky team of primary school children the chance to write their own Doctor Who mini-adventure starring the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith.

In 2011 Script to Screen was part of Doctor Who Confidential. The competition was won by the children of Oakley Junior School in Basingstoke, who saw their script, Death Is the Only Answer produced by the BBC Wales team and shown on BBC Three following the 2011 series finale.

The 2012 competition is now open to UK pupils aged 9-11 who are encouraged to collaborate on a script that takes the Time Lord on a new quest travelling through space and time. Bespoke lesson plans and printable Doctor Who resources are also available to inspire children's creativity.

Amy and/or Rory can be included in the script, but no other Doctor Who characters such as River Song.

The competition closes at midnight on 16th March 2012. Resources and an entry form are available on the BBC Schools Website.

The videos below show the Doctor launching the competition, and a school in London using resources.

Video Challange 1, via BBC Learning


A London School uses the resources, via BBC Learning

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Matt Smith will be appearing on Blue Peter this week to launch the competition - the show will be broadcast today (Thursday) on the CBBC channel at 5:45pm, and then on BBC1 on Friday at 4:30pm. The episode will be available on the BBC iPlayer for a week after broadcast.

Related Articles: Doctor Who: Death Is The Only Answer (24 Aug 2011)

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Back in March, the BBC announced their Script to Screen competition, which opened for entries on 23rd April to tie in with the return of Doctor Who to television.

The aim of the competition is to submit a three minute script that can be acted out in the TARDIS console room featuring the Doctor, who will interact with a brand new human character (contemporary or historical), and/or one of either a Judoon, Cyberman, Ood or Weeping Angel.

The competition is open to primary schools, who may submit one script written by a group of 2-4 pupils (who must be aged between 9 and 11 before the 31st August). The script must be original and, and entirely the group's own, and has to be suitable for broadcast to a family audience including other children.

The writers of the winning script will get to travel to the BBC's Cardiff studio, where they will see their script brought to life by the Doctor Who team and cast including Matt Smith. Doctor Who Confidential will also be on hand to take viewers behind the scenes to show how the script gets developed from paper to big screen - from the first script meeting, a cast read-through, on set filming all the way to the final edit.


The BBC have also released a video introduction featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, plus 'real-life' observations on the writing process by head writer Steven Moffat and further suggestions by script editor Caroline Henry, executive producer Beth Willis, and producer Marcus Wilson.

A Word from the Doctor..., BBC, via BBC Website

The competition closes on 13th June 2011; visit the competition page for details on how schools can enter, and for full terms and conditions see BBC's Teachers website.

Related Articles: BBC launch schools competition (29 Mar 2011); Press Release (29th Mar 2011)

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Neil Gaiman, award winning fantasy author and writer for the most recently broadcast episode, The Doctor's Wife, provides his own suggestions on how aspiring writers should approach writing a short script and for the character of the Doctor.

Neil Gaiman on writing for the Doctor, BBC, via BBC Website

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The BBC have launched a new competition which gives a team of UK primary school children the chance to write their own Doctor Who mini-adventure starring the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith. The competition, produced by BBC Learning and Doctor Who Confidential is for school children aged 9 to 11 years who will be encouraged to collaborate on a three-minute script that takes the Time Lord on a new quest travelling through space and time inside the TARDIS. The winners will travel to the BBC's studios in Cardiff where they will see their script brought to life by the Doctor Who team and cast, including Matt Smith. Doctor Who Confidential will take viewers behind the scenes to show how the script gets developed from paper to television screen – from the first script meeting, a cast read-through, on-set filming... all the way to the final edit. Saul Nassé, Controller of BBC Learning, said:

Doctor Who is loved by children across the UK, and I can think of no better programme to inspire the next generation of story tellers. The Script to Screen competition is a fantastic way for children to learn new writing skills, whether or not they are winners. We are delighted that the stellar cast and crew of Doctor Who are on board for this journey of learning through time and space."

The script must feature Matt Smith as The Doctor, and can include one of four aliens from the show: Ood, Judoon, Cyberman or Weeping Angel, as well as a brand new human character to test the wits of the Doctor. Tailored learning resources will be available on the BBC Learning website to help guide teachers and pupils through the process. Head writer at Doctor Who, Steven Moffat, will also offer his expert advice and helpful tips on how to pull together a stand-out script with memorable characters.

Doctor Who made me want to write. It made me fall in love in television, script-writing and storytelling, and led me by the hand to the best job in the world. It also made me want to defend the Earth from aliens but that hasn't come up so often. I know the power this show has to set young imaginations alight, because I've lived it, so I'm incredibly excited to be involved in this project. Plus it's never too early to start looking for your replacement.

The winning script will be chosen by Steven Moffat, Saul Nassé and executive producers of Doctor Who, Piers Wenger and Beth Willis. Full details of how to enter the competition, with the judging criteria and terms and conditions will be available on bbc.co.uk/teachers from 20 April 2011. Downloadable BBC Learning resources will be available from 23 April 2011 and the closing date for entries Monday 13 June 2011.

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