An idealistic engineer turns to teaching after struggling to find work in his field. He lands a job at a London East End school where the students are mostly unruly, working-class teenagers who have been deemed difficult to educate. The school's faculty have all but resigned themselves to simply keeping the students contained until they reach the age to leave compulsory education. Facing a classroom of defiant and disruptive students, the teacher challenges the status quo by treating them with respect and implementing unconventional teaching methods.

He gradually earns the trust of the students by showing them they are valued individuals with the potential to affect their own futures. As he breaks through the barriers of racial prejudice, class hostility, and adolescent rebellion, his students begin to see education as a tool for personal growth. The setting of their cultural clashes and mutual learning serves as a backdrop for the life lessons they exchange, transforming the atmosphere from one of mutual disregard to one of mutual respect. Each interaction carries the weight of their broader social struggles, making their journey not just an academic education, but a lesson in life itself.