The Teacher series 3: Filming locations include luxury hotel posing as elite private boarding school Cheetham Hall
But the rest was not filmed in the UK
The Teacher series 3, like many recent TV thrillers is set in the UK, but uses a very different European country as a filming location.
This follows TV series such as Girl Taken (set in a quiet rural town in UK but filmed in Spain’s San Sabastián), The Couple Next Door (set in Leeds, but actually filmed in Belgium), and The Game (set in the fictional UK town of Ripton but was also made in Spain).
Like several series over the past year, the cast and crew of The Teacher chose to film abroad rather than in the country where the story takes place. Here’s everything you need to know about the filming locations for The Teacher series 3, including the building used as the elite private boarding school Cheetham Hall.
Where is The Teacher series 3 set?
The latest series of The Teacher takes place in Sheffield and the Peak District – an area director Dominic Leclerc knows well. He said: “That idea of being on the cusp of a northern city, but in beautiful landscape, gave the series its own flavour.”
Most scenes take place in and around the elite private boarding school Cheetham Hall. The show presents the school as being set in the South Yorkshire city (although it is not actually located there).
Victoria Hamilton plays Helen Simpson, a teacher with 30 years of experience who struggles with what she describes as the “woke ideologies” of her pupils. As Head of Drama, she clashes with influential student Cressida Bancroft. Helen accuses her of acting like a “woke warrior to gain popularity”, which Cressida treats as a declaration of war. She then sets out to turn others against Helen and even targets her family.
Helen builds her entire life around the school where she works and even lives on campus with her son Sam after her marriage breaks down. In reality, however, the grand building is not a school – something that helps make filming much easier.
Series 1 of The Teacher, starring Sheridan Smith, set its story in Bradford, Yorkshire, but filmed in Budapest, Hungary. Series 2, starring Kara Tointon, set its story in Manchester but filmed in Ireland.
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Where is The Teacher series actually filmed?
Like The Game and Girl Taken, The Teacher series 3 filmed primarily in Vitoria in northern Spain, although the production also includes aerial shots of Sheffield. The cast and crew filmed most scenes across the Basque Country, using the region for nearly all locations. They shot all interior school scenes in Spain.
Vitoria-Gasteiz serves as the capital of the Basque Country (Euskadi), a beautiful region in northern Spain along the Bay of Biscay. Many people may be more familiar with San Sebastián (known locally as Donostia), which features a crescent-shaped bay called La Concha and is famous for its food, culture, and nightlife.
The Basque region features lush, mountainous landscapes shaped by heavy rainfall. While it may not offer the same sunshine as southern Spain, it provides equally striking scenery. Travellers can reach the region in just under two hours from the UK via Bilbao Airport.
‘Vitoria is a very Spanish place with a lovely little old town’
Talking about filming in Spain, actor Steve Edge – who plays Terry Simpson – joked: “It’s almost like I will only work abroad as I did Benidorm for four years and we shoot Madame Blanc on Gozo. But I’ve filmed in Stockport and Harrow too, I do move around!
“We filmed in Vitoria, which is a very Spanish place with very few tourists, and it has a lovely little old town. It was quite a full-on schedule, so we didn’t have time to travel around much. We picked up back in Hertfordshire later in the shoot, which looks more British… Vitoria doesn’t look very much like Sheffield!”
Rochenda Sandall, who plays Tessa Stewart, loved filming in Spain. She told us: “When director Dominic Leclerc offered me the part and told me we’d be going to Spain – I ran at the chance! We were out there for two months, on the northern side of Spain, so all of the Basque Country was available to us, it was amazing.
“They serve Pinxtos in the bars and restaurants, which are little snacks on sticks, and they go down really well with actors! I was so lucky on this job, because my partner, Mark [Stanley] is an actor as well and he wasn’t working at the time. So he lived with me and practiced his Spanish. We could go out and about after work, it was a dream come true!”
She added: “Most of my scenes are in the school, which was actually an old church that was recommissioned and converted into an art college. So it didn’t really look anything like my school, but they created an open plan vision of a boarding school.”
The Teacher series 3 filming location: Is Cheetham Hall real?
Although most of The Teacher series 3 filmed in northern Spain, the production used a UK location for the school’s exterior. Cheetham Hall itself does not exist as a real school. Instead, the production used Fanhams Hall, a luxury hotel near Stansted Airport in Hertfordshire.
Fanhams Hall operates as a luxury hotel and wedding venue. Located on Fanhams Hall Road in Ware, it offers a four-star country stay surrounded by landscaped gardens. Guests often visit for weddings and afternoon teas, and the hotel includes 68 rooms.
This Grade II-listed, Queen Anne-style country house dates back to the 18th century. Room prices typically range from £112 to £184 per night. A “breathtaking Jacobean mansion” surrounded by beautifully-kept gardens, it’s 2.6km from Amwell Quarry Nature Reserve.
The production filmed interior school scenes at I.D Arte, a School of Art and Higher School of Design in Vitoria-Gasteiz, which occupies a converted church.
Where was Helen Simpson’s house filmed?
The production filmed Helen Simpson’s home in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, about a 45-minute drive from Fanhams Hall.
Chorleywood sits on the edge of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and forms part of the London commuter belt. The village features upscale homes and traditional pubs.
The specific property used – Apple Tree Farmhouse – stands on Dog Kennel Lane. This Grade II-listed home last sold for £2 million in 2021 and includes six bedrooms and five en-suite bathrooms.
What prison was used in episode 6?
In the final episode, the production used Shrewsbury Prison as a filming location. This historic jail in Shropshire closed in 2013 and now operates as a tourist attraction.
Engineers completed the prison – also known as The Dana – in 1793, with Thomas Telford leading its design. Today, visitors can take tours, stay overnight, and even join ghost-hunting experiences. Film and TV productions frequently use the site, including Silent Witness.
Fans of the BBC crime drama might recognise the prison from Jack’s wrongfully imprisonment in season 29.
Why do so many UK television shows film in Spain now?
Spain promotes itself as the “California of Europe: by offering strong financial incentives to productions. The country provides a 30% tax rebate on the first €1 million of local spend, with higher incentives available in certain regions.
The Basque Country offers particularly generous rebates of up to 60% when productions meet specific spending thresholds, with an additional 10% available for projects filmed in the Basque language.
Producers also choose northern Spain for its distinct visual style, which contrasts with the sunny stereotype of the country and suits a wider range of genres.
Other key filming locations in The Teacher series 3:
- The production filmed many skyline shots over Sheffield, including views of Park Square Bridge.
- It captured additional panoramic views of central Sheffield from Meersbrook Park.
- The Teacher series 3 also included aerial footage of the Yorkshire countryside, including Brimham Rocks and the Nidderdale landscape.
- It featured landmarks such as Sheffield Town Hall, St Paul’s Church, and Sheffield Midland station in aerial shots. Although the cast did not film scenes on location there.
TV shows filmed in Shrewsbury Prison
The Apprentice series 17
Tasked with hosting immersive events at two of the top tourist attractions in the West Midlands, the apprentices took on the responsibility of selling tickets, booking events, and organising food and drink. Shrewsbury Prison was one of the two top tourist attractions.
Happy Valley season finale
Season 3 of the multi-BAFTA award-winning drama was filmed at the prison in March 2022. Taking place seven years after the events of the second series, lead role Sergeant Catherine Cawood was coming close to retirement – but her nemesis Tommy Lee Royce escaped prison and sought his revenge.
Without Sin
The ITV thriller Without Sin was another TV show filmed in Shrewsbury Prison. It starred Line of Duty actress Vicky McClure as Stella Tomlinson. Grieving mother Stella developed a relationship with the man she believed murdered her daughter.
Celebrity Hunted
In July 2022, helicopters were seen on the hunt over Shrewsbury for 10 celebrities as they made their escape from Shrewsbury Prison whilst being pursued by a team of elite hunters.
Susan Calman's Grand Day Out
Susan Calman and her camper van Helen hit the road to find themselves amongst the stunning Shropshire hills. During her time there, Susan tackled one of Shrewsbury Prison's escape rooms.
Man like Mobeen season 4
Mobeen found himself within the walls of Shrewsbury Prison for his TV show in 2023. He was on a mission to befriend a gentleman known as 'Memory Stick' and persuade him to hand over vital information...
Time
The excellent BBC One three-part drama series was also filmed at Shrewsbury Prison. The BBC took over the prison for a total of two months to film the Jimmy McGovern prison drama starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham.
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