The hallmark of the Bexhill School for Girls, in the late 1950s, was its insistence on the merits of proper discipline.
Debbie is a rebellious, spoiled brat, despite her parents’ best efforts with brush and strap: just the sort of girl who will benefit from Bexhill’s philosophy. She is an unwilling new pupil.
Catharine, on the other hand, is eager to start at Bexhill because her sister, Jane, had been there and enjoyed it. She is not put off by hearing her sister’s graphic account of the school’s disciplinary regime.
And, far away on a Mediterranean island, two French girls get carried away (at the cost of a meeting with the teacher’s martinet) by the prospect of an exchange visit to the English school the following year.
Nearer home, the headmaster learns why his nickname is ‘Three Taps’, the deputy head admires her daughter’s fortitude, and the school secretary uncovers a dark side to her character.
Meet some of the girls and staff who will assemble at Bexhill as the new Academic Year begins and whose fortunes we shall be following.