Schoolchildren will have the chance to go to Vue Cinema, Dagenham free of charge from next Thursday until October 21 as part of Film Education’s National Schools Film Week.

The organisation aims to support classroom teaching by providing them schools with experience for their students which links directly to the school curriculum.

The National Schools Film Week focuses on developing the education of young people by providing schools with film and cinema based learning inside and outside of the classroom.

The festival operates 2,500 screenings at 570 cinemas across the UK. Last year, over 473,000 students and teachers attended and this year is the festival’s 16th birthday.

Nick Walker, festival director explained: “Our hope is for teachers and students to feel massively engaged in the festival, as it is an incredible opportunity not only to build the adventurous, film-loving audience of the future but also to develop the kinds of passion in young people more likely to make them more receptive to this collectively experienced art form.”

The festival is open to all schools in the borough. Teachers are able to book tickets for themselves and students online at www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org or by calling 0207 292 7300.