CBBC Jamie Johnson FC: Spin off series of popular football TV show filmed at boarding school and coffee shop in York

The CBBC spin off football series Jamie Johnson FC was filmed in York at a boarding school and a coffee shop and the second series is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The York-based boarding school Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate (QE) welcomed the cast and crew of the popular CBBC show Jamie Johnson FC, who arrived on site to film an episode of the second season across five days from August 29, 2023.

The show centres around the fictional Hawx United Academy where young hopefuls train to try and make it as professional footballers.

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Jame Johnson FC is a spin off of the hit CBBC show, Jamie Johnson, which ran for seven seasons from 2016 to 2022 and focused on the lead character, Jamie, following his ambitions of becoming a professional footballer.

Mason playing football on Jamie Johnson FC. (Pic credit: CBBC)Mason playing football on Jamie Johnson FC. (Pic credit: CBBC)
Mason playing football on Jamie Johnson FC. (Pic credit: CBBC)

Strike is responsible for both the original and spin off show and picked the 220-acre campus with filming locations including QE’s self-run and popular Woodlands Coffee Shop, as well as QE’s oldest and most famous building, Armorial Hall, which was once home to literary legend, Anne Bronte.

With football being a key theme of the show, the majority of the filming took place on QE’s professional grass surfaced football pitches, which as well as being used by the PE department, football teams, and football coaching staff, are rented over summer by high-profile football academy clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday.

Executive producer and director at the London-based production company, Sam Talbot, said: “It was a pleasure to film a crucial part of our second series of Jamie Johnson FC at Queen Ethelburga's.

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“From the grounds to the commercial staff, we were made to feel incredibly welcome by all departments.

“A hallmark of our series is the authenticity of the football, whether that be our actors who are mostly academy players to the facilities we use.

“The exceptionally high standard of the pitches and surroundings represented this at its fullest. We look forward to continuing this relationship with Queen Ethelburga's for future series and in showing it at its best on screen.”

The collegiate hosted more than 100 crew members and provided areas across the campus for dressing rooms, a production office, and ample truck parking for the storage of costumes and props.

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QE’s commercial manager, Chris Simpson, said: “It was fantastic to see the site being used for such a great project and we cannot wait to see our fabulous facilities, particularly our sports pitches, on the small screen.

“It created such a buzz around the campus, and it was a real privilege to work with them on their popular show.

“The Grounds Manager, Ben Grigor, and his team work tirelessly to keep the pitches maintained to a professional standard.

“It is these high standards that impress anyone that comes onsite and ultimately plays a huge part in securing us superb opportunities such as working on this project for the CBBC.”

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QE’s commercial lettings liaison, Louis Morton, was the primary contact for the production company and looked after them during the duration of filming.

“They were blown away by the amazing facilities we have, and they were constantly telling me how good everything looked on the footage. It was a real pleasure to work with them.”

Along with the filming, the boarding school was also hosting various summer schools and holiday camps.

The second series of Jamie Johnson FC has recently been released and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. The school grounds can be seen in series two episode eight, nine and 10 of the show.

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