In this fact-based drama, a formidable head teacher is tasked with rescuing a failing inner-city comprehensive school from closure.
Marie Stubbs (Julie Walters), an experienced and unorthodox headmistress, is brought in as the last hope for St George’s, a London school placed on special measures and facing a bleak future. She finds a culture of despair, with disillusioned staff, including the cynical deputy head Graham Ranger (Anton Lesser), and a student body rife with indiscipline and apathy. With just over a year to turn the school around, Stubbs employs a direct, often confrontational, approach to restore order and morale, challenging both the students and the teachers who have given up on them. Her efforts are supported by her husband, Bill (Bernard Holley), but meet with constant resistance from a system that has already written the school off.
The telefilm is a powerful vehicle for Julie Walters, who dominates the production as the tenacious and compassionate head teacher. Based on the real-life story of Marie Stubbs, whose book gives the film its title, the narrative follows the established template of the inspirational teacher drama. Its distinction, however, comes from its raw, unsentimental execution and the authenticity of its setting. The production avoids easy solutions, grounding its story in the difficult realities of inner-city education and the bureaucratic obstacles facing reformers. It is less a story about pedagogy and more a study in leadership, with Walters offering a compelling depiction of resilience in the face of institutional failure.
Broadcast: ITV 1, 30 January 2005
Written by: Robert Jones
Director: Adrian Shergold
Executive Producers: Michael Foster, Simon Heath, Sue Latimer
Producer: Elli Jason
Music: Paul Heard
Main Cast: Julie Walters (Marie Stubbs), Reece Dinsdale (Sean Devlin), Tony Slattery (Stuart Stiles), Bernard Holley (Bill Stubbs), Anton Lesser (Graham Ranger), Adrian Rawlins (Tony Mackersie), Gerard Canning (Father George Dangerfield), Katherine Parkinson (Vicky Foley)
