Everything To Know About Sex Education Season 4

As fans may well recall, Sex Education Season 3 welcomed a new head teacher, Hope, played by Girls star Jemima Kirke, to Moordale Secondary School, and her tenure was anything but smooth. Meanwhile, Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve (portrayed by Barbie actor Emma Mackey) found their friendship on the rocks once more. With plenty more action taking place, and many questions left unanswered, it’s no wonder that fans are eager to find out what they can about Season 4.

While announcing the premiere date and dropping the first teaser on July 5, Netflix confirmed that Sex Education will end with the upcoming fourth and final season. “It’s been overwhelming seeing how the show has connected with people around the world, and we hope it’s made some of you feel a little less alone too,” creator Laurie Nunn wrote in an open letter to fans the same day. “Writing this feels bittersweet, as we’ve decided the fourth season will also be the final installment of our show. This was not an easy decision to make, but as the themes and stories of the new season crystallized, it became clear that this was the right time to graduate. Goodbyes are the worst, but let’s celebrate all the good times we’ve had.”

Some of the show’s leading stars have confirmed they will not be returning to the hit Netflix drama for chapter four, including Patricia Allison (Ola Nyman), Tanya Reynolds (Lily Iglehart), and Rakhee Thakra (Emily Sands). Before the show announced that it was ending with Season 4, Ncuti Gatwa confirmed in February 2022 that Season 4 would be his last. Gatwa — who was announced as the new Doctor Who — shared a photo of his Sex Education dressing room door, along with a caption that read: “Last day. Last time. Bye bubs, thank you for all the lessons and for all the strength.”

While Allison, Reynolds, and Thakra won’t be appearing in the next installment of Sex Education, fans will be happy to learn that Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy officially signed on for Season 4 in August 2022.

Find out everything you need to know about Sex Education Season 4 below.

Sex Education Season 4 Cast

Along with the aforementioned Butterfield, Mackey, and Gatwa, those confirmed to be returning for Season 4 include Aimee Lou Wood, Connor Swindells, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Gillian Anderson, Mimi Keene, George Robinson, Chineye Ezeudu, Dua Saleh, Alistair Petrie, and Samantha Spiro.

The show’s fourth chapter will also welcome a string of new faces, including Doctor Who’s Thaddea Graham, Marie Reuther, Felix Mufti, Anthony Lexa, Alexandra James, Reda Elazouar, Bella Maclean, Imani Yahshua, and, as mentioned, Dan Levy.

In the new season, Levy will take on the role of Thomas Molloy — a famous author, who serves as Maeve’s college tutor at the prestigious Ivy League university she attends as an exchange student.

Revealing to reporters on the BAFTAs 2023 red carpet, Jodie Turner-Smith confirmed she’s also joining the Sex Education family after being personally invited by Gatwa himself. “First of all, all my scenes were with Ncuti Gatwa who – I DIE for him – and he’s my favourite character on the show. So, when he called me and asked me to do it I was like, I don’t care how much they’re paying I’m doing it.” However, it remains unknown what character Turner-Smith will be portraying in the series.

Meanwhile, speaking to Elle in Sept. 2023, Gatwa teased a “fierce and unashamed” Eric Effiong in Season 4, revealing that he found portraying the beloved character to be a “healing” experience. “It taught me the importance of representation: it’s so powerful and necessary,” he added.

Sex Education Season 4 Plot

Netflix previously shared details of the Season 4 plot, revealing that Otis and Eric will “face a new frontier” as they embark on their first day at Cavendish Sixth Form College following the closure of Moordale Secondary. “Cavendish is a culture shock for all the Moordale students — they thought they were progressive but this new college is another level. There’s daily yoga in the communal garden, a strong sustainability vibe, and a group of kids who are popular for being … kind,” an official synopsis teases.

Meanwhile, the new series will explore Jackson’s attempt at getting over Cal, while Adam must decide whether mainstream education is for him. Fans will also follow Maeve as she lives out her dream at the esteemed Wallace University, where she is taught by the famed author Thomas Molloy (Levy).

Sex Education Season 4 Release Date

Netflix revealed that Sex Education will return on Sept. 21, 2023.

Prior to the final season announcement, the cast and crew seemed in agreement on whether the show had a life beyond Season 4. Butterfield, who plays Otis, told Digital Spy: “I think it's a relatively simple story this one. Obviously, we're in college, so there's that time constraint. I don't think this show would ever go for 10 seasons... I don't think it needs more than four or five [seasons].”

Lou Wood, who plays Aimee in the show, told Radio Times that while there was a part of her “that could just do it forever,” there was also a part of her that says: “No. We’ve all got to go and do different things and play different parts.”

Wood continued: “We can’t be, like, 50 saying: ‘Freshers week!’ So it’s a weird one. It’s a bittersweet thing because it probably is, even if it’s not this series, closer now to ending than it is to the start.”

Sex Education Season 4 Trailer

Though the full Sex Education Season 4 trailer remains forthcoming, Netflix dropped a teaser on July 5, previewing Otis’ comically disastrous introduction at Moordale. “I spend a lot of my free time thinking about sex,” he tells the perplexed students before making matters worse by adding, “Thinking about sex comes very naturally because I’ve learned everything I know about sex from my mom.”

This post will be updated with additional plot and cast details as more information on Sex Education Season 4 becomes available.