Ever since it first burst onto our screens back in 2019, fans have had a lot of questions about Sex Education. Questions about the cast, questions about when the series is set, questions about where the series is set.
And with the fourth and final season of the hit series now available to watch, once again everyone has started scouring the internet for all the behind-the-scenes secrets to the hit Netflix show.
That’s why we’ve done a deep dive into the series, to answer all of your questions about Sex Education.
Where is Sex Education set?
Whilst Sex Education undoubtedly has a quintessentially British feel and stars mainly English actors, the students’ high school experience doesn’t feel especially British, with Moordale Secondary School – the main school setting for series one to three – seeming more like an American high school.
Apparently, this is intentional, with the crew purposefully weaving in both British and American school experiences.
Jokingly, Gillian Anderson – who plays Jean Milburn on the show – explained, ‘There is a bit of both worlds, decidedly, in the series, and the aim and the hope is that Americans won’t notice.
‘For instance, the Brits may notice that they are throwing American footballs, whereas the Americans won’t notice that that might be strange for people speaking with British accents.'
Another example comes in series four of Sex Education, when it was noted that Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) had pop tarts for breakfast, a very American snack.
It seems like the idea is that Sex Education isn’t especially defined by location, thus making the series more relatable for its viewers.
Is Moordale from Sex Education a real town?
Sex Education is set in the fictional town of Moordale, but no country or more specific location is ever confirmed.
The biggest clue as the where Moordale is supposed to be comes from the use of the iconic Tintern Bridge which is located on the River Wye in Gloucesteshire.
Where is Sex Education filmed?
The majority of filming for Sex Education took place in Wales.
The farm where Adam Groff (Connor Swindells) starts working in series four is located on the real-life Werngochlyn Farm on the English-Welsh border, whilst the Caerleon Campus in Wales forms the base for Moordale Secondary School.
If you feel so inclined, you can even visit Jean and Otis’s house and even stay in it, because the property is actually a B&B called The Chalet and is located in the village of Symonds Yat in Wales. Unfortunately, the interior of the house is a set, meaning fans have been left disappointed when staying at the location, hoping for some of Jean Milburn’s classic interior design.
Even the location for the fictional Wallace University in America, which Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey) attends in series four is actually in England. In reality Sex Education filmed at Westonbirt School near Bristol. The library where Maeve studies – and spots some sexy goingson in the first episode - is actually Wills Memorial Building aka one of the University of Bristol’s libraries.
When is Sex Education set?
Much like with its location, Sex Education isn’t tied down to a specific era either.
Is Sex Education set in the 80s?
Fans have noted that Sex Education feels like it’s set in the 80s, with Otis and Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa) playing vintage video games on old fashioned TVs, which seems at odds with the students’ use of mobile phones and the very high-tech nature of the new school – Cavendish Sixth Form College - in series four.
Are the costumes from Sex Education from the 80s?
The fashion of Sex Education also seems to transcend a timeframe.
Although Otis’ wardrobe – including his well-worn striped puffer coat - is distinctly 80s, Maeve’s grungier look seems inspired by the 90s, whilst Eric’s could even be as modern as the 00s.
Speaking about that decision, costume designer Danielle Pearman said, ‘I do feel like people watching it can feel like: We can be anyone we want to be, we can dress how we want, we don’t all have to own the same snazzy phone or the same designer wardrobe, because everyone can be in their own little world.’