Swallow is a sharp, unsettling look inside a sixth-form college where the education system is stretched to breaking point. Based on true events, the film exposes how abuse, unchecked behaviour, and institutional pressure affect both teachers and the students who actually want to learn.

The story follows Stella, a lecturer in her late fifties who balances part-time teaching with a modest career as an indie filmmaker. A French-born Brit, she has spent most of her life in the UK, building experience, resilience, and a genuine passion for her subject. But in her classroom, she faces constant harassment from Lili and her group—comments, interruptions, and targeted hostility that make it nearly impossible to teach. When Stella finally leaves the room in distress, the situation escalates further: she is called into a departmental meeting, confronted with false accusations, suspended, and spoken to with thinly veiled contempt by those meant to support her.

The film uses the image of a swallow trapped inside the college as a simple but powerful metaphor for teachers who feel cornered by a system that no longer protects them. In large online communities of educators, Stella’s experience is far from unusual—many describe similar situations where they are pushed out, ignored, or simply worn down.

Swallow is a timely film with a clear social message. Like Adolescence, it examines the growing impact of social media, the erosion of respect for authority, and the real harm this causes in classrooms. It focuses not only on the wellbeing of teachers but also on the students who lose out: the quiet ones, the vulnerable ones, the ones who want to learn but are overshadowed by constant disruption.

The current data is stark. According to the NASUWT Behaviour Survey 2025:

90% of teachers report verbal abuse or violence from pupils.

30,000 violent incidents involved a weapon.

86% of teachers are experiencing mental health difficulties.

Swallow aims to make these realities visible. It’s a grounded, honest portrayal of a crisis happening behind school doors every day, told through the experience of one teacher who becomes a symbol for many.