Andy Seed is beginning his fifth year teaching at Cragthwaite Primary in the Yorkshire Dales. There's a beautiful, but not terribly bright, student on placement from the local teacher training college, and a particularly pushy parent with a fine line in complaining. At home in Applesett, things aren't all rosy either. Barbara is forced to take a job to help pay the mortgage, which means finding someone to look after Tom and Reuben. When two old friends move into the village it looks like the problem has been solved...