Greer Garson in her final film as an M-G-M contract player is Jan Stewart, the first female teacher at The Oaks, an exclusive boarding school for boys. Her assignment is fraught with obstacles, not least of which are her complicated, eccentric young students, many of whom have been written off by the school's headmaster (Richard Haydn). With the advice and help of lower schoolmaster Joe Hargrave (Robert Ryan) and phys ed teacher Ralph Munsey (James Arness), Stewart starts to address each boy's needs with maternal warmth. She must also navigate a romantic triangle between her, a student's Texas-oil-baron father (Barry Sullivan) and Hargrave. As the dedicated and selfless Hargrave, the King of Noir Robert Ryan takes a rare good-guy turn in a role that reflects his offscreen activities as an avid supporter of progressive education.