This issue's problem: Ernest Briggs, who wants pupils to engage with the real lives of ordinary people in the past, is struggling to learn to teach courses that he thinks are too narrowly focused on elite politics and international relations.

Ernest, initially one of the most animated and enthusiastic trainees on his PGCE programme, is beginning to question his decision to go into teaching. After a successful start, his frustration with the restrictions of the curriculum in his placement school and his mentor's growing unease about the appropriateness of his GCSE teaching have led to some very tense discussions.