After taking the new girls to Miss Grayling's study, the two agree that the only real failure in Darrell's year is Gwendoline. Darrell undertakes to do what she can to set her on a more positive path. The girls discuss their futures: Mary-Lou wants to train as a children's nurse, Clarissa and Bill plan to open a riding school close to Malory Towers, Belinda will train to be an artist and Irene …
Darrell's young sister, Felicity, is in the first form this term, and Darrell is looking forward very much to showing her beloved Malory Towers to her young sister, but Felicity befriends June, a person who Darrell isn't very keen on. But that doesn't take away the excitement Darrell has when she learns she is made head girl of the Upper Fourth. But being head girl isn't quite as exciting as D…
It is Darrell’s fifth term at Malory Towers. Along with most of her classmates, she moves up to the Second Form under Form Mistress Miss Parker. Former Head of Form, Katherine, has moved up to the Third Form and Violet has disappeared from the stories. In their place in North Tower are three new girls: Belinda Morris, Ellen Wilson and Daphne Milicent Turner. Belinda turns out to be as much of…