The Education of Jane Cumming

In early nineteenth-century Edinburgh, two women run a girls’ boarding school, trying to build an independent life in a world with little room for women outside convention. When a wealthy grandmother enrols her granddaughters, including 15-year-old Jane Cumming, the school’s fragile balance begins to shift. Jane’s isolation, the teachers’ concern and the pressures of respectability soon lead to an accusation that changes all their lives. Based on true events, Sophie Heldman’s beautifully made period drama explores prejudice, reputation and the cost of surviving in a strict and unforgiving society.