Lucy Althorpe, a young maths teacher at the Rudyard Valley Girls' Grammar School, is not impressed with the regime of corporal punishment introduced by the new headmistress, Miss Dashwood... a woman who has no hesitation in applying the cane to pupils' bottoms with devastating effect. But as time goes by, Miss Althorpe's views on CP begin to change, and she learns to appreciate the clean efficiency of the cane, a perfect punishment implement for the bare bottoms of school bullies. After proving her worth, Miss Althorpe is promoted to Deputy Headmistress, and later takes up a new challenge as the headmistress of Seacliffe High School for Girls. Discipline at Seacliffe is sadly lacking, the girls misbehaving and running wild - but with the aid of her swishy new cane, Miss Althorpe quickly establishes her own unique brand of order. She makes her mark on deserving bottoms, and although strict, is firm and fair. Packed with the usual mayhem of school life, including pranks and boisterous fun, errant pupils receive their whacks with plimsoll and cane. Yet the true right-of-passage is a journey undertaken by Miss Althorpe, as she undergoes a transition into a capable, no-nonsense disciplinarian.