Across all episodes the vehicles and TV sets used in the production are all late 20th century (1970-1990) models rather than contemporary 21st century ones. This has been done deliberately as it adds to the slightly unreal context of the show.
The show's British writer, Laurie Nunn, said she intended Sex Education to be an homage to the John Hughes high school films of the 1980s, such as दी ब्रेकफास्ट क्लब (1985) and गुलाबी में सुंदर (1986).
Although the show takes place in a British school named Moordale Secondary, it has an American high school environment with lockers, Letterman jackets, a rugby ball being carried around (mimicking an American football) the hallways and no school uniforms. The creators did this intentionally to make the show more accessible to international audiences (mainly American) and a homage to the John Hughes films that inspired the show.
Filming for the series took place along the River Wye in England and Wales, including locations in Llandogo and Tintern, Monmouthshire. The scenes set at Moordale Secondary School were filmed at the former Campus of the University of South Wales at Caerleon.