Zak Jinks

Every student in Zak’s class is given the opportunity to pick a profession and learn about it. Zak is appointed trainee principal, spending time shadowing Mr Percieval to understand the responsibilities of the role and observing school management practices throughout the day.

The Trainee Principal is a programme presented as a single episode. It falls under the genre of an episode‑style show, offering a concise narrative focused on a specific classroom activity. In the story, every pupil in Zak’s class is given the opportunity to pick a career they’d like to explore and to learn about what it involves. When the selections are made, Zak ends up being assigned the role of trainee principal, meaning he must spend time observing the day‑to‑day duties of the school’s head. To fulfil his new responsibility, Zak is paired with Mr Percieval, the current headteacher, and is required to shadow him throughout the school day. This arrangement lets Zak see first‑hand how the principal manages staff, deals with pupils and handles the various administrative tasks that keep the school running smoothly. The episode therefore centres on Zak’s experience of stepping into a leadership position, albeit temporarily, and on the insights he gains while following Mr Percieval around. Through this brief but focused look at school management, the programme illustrates how a classroom exercise can give students a realistic taste of a professional role.