The transformation that Marie Stubbs effected at St George's, the inner London comprehensive that had gone into steep decline after the murder of its head teacher Philip Lawrence outside the school gates in 1995, was hailed as a national example of good practice. Teachers had been fearful of leaving the staffroom at break; stealing and absenteeism were rife. After fifteen months, children were turning up early to have breakfast and the classrooms were full. This is the story of its remarkable turnaround - through conviction, imagination, old-fashioned discipline and modern management techniques. In an era where so many problems seem intractable, it brings genuine hope.