Old School - Zoe Curtis

'As a teacher myself, Old School had that authentic revelatory appeal. Impossible to put down - a vindication for all middle-aged woman teachers told to keep up with the times'.  Anna Porter, teacher

'Old School is a witty and clever romp exposing the underbelly of prep school life. Insightful, perceptive and deliciously subversive'.  Catherine Brahams, teacher

'Clever, funny, laugh out loud - Allie is a heroine for our times'. Anna Porter, teacher

Allie Porter, a prep schoolteacher in her mid-fifties, is navigating the changes in the world of education. She's struggling with the burgeoning workloads, demanding parents and tense staff-room politics. The threat of VAT tax on private schools and declining birth rates further exacerbates the precarious state of the school finances and leads to rumbustious staff-room meetings. Allie is always worried about being booted out and thinks about retiring constantly. 

Allie finds solace with two colleagues, and the three friends salvage a dark humour in the situation. Their friendship is a beacon of joy and sanity in an increasingly fraught landscape. Without them, Allie isn't sure how she would copy as actually she doesn't have many other friends - especially as her husband has long since lost interest in the shenanigans at school. 

Yet as the school year progresses, Allie senses that her romantic life is also imploding but cannot put her finger on the problem. She has half terms, Christmas hols and Easter to devote herself to this ticking domestic time bomb. 

She now has three missions - to save her marriage and her career and her friendships. She's not sure if they all carry equal weight.