This early outing for the 'Carry On' team may not be one of the best but it is better than many of the later outings. As the title would suggest this film finds the team teaching in a typical school. As the end of term approaches the acting head master is hoping to find a permanent post in a rural school but before he can do that he must survive a week long visit from a strict school inspector and a liberal-minded psychologist… to make matters worse one of the boys has overheard all this and sets about ensuring the inspection does not go well. The rest of the film sees the teachers falling victim to a series of pranks which range from putting itching powder in the staff room to spiking the teachers' tea with alcohol stolen from the labs. Away from all the pranks two inspectors find themselves taking a romantic interest in two of the staff! As the film approaches its climax the school is preparing to put on a performance of Romeo and Juliet… not surprisingly things do no go well.I enjoyed many of the other early Carry On films but this one seems weaker than most; for the most part it was just a series of practical jokes without the wit of the better films. That isn't to say it wasn't totally without laughs; I did enjoy the finale where their production of Romeo and Juliet descended into a farce. The main problem with many of the jokes was that the pranks seemed malicious if not downright malevolent at the time… we do later learn why the children did it but by then it is too late. The cast includes many of the regulars including Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims and Hattie Jacques; they do a good enough job although it isn't their best work. I'd only really recommend this to fans of the series although children would probably find the various pranks hilarious and unlike later instalments in the series there is nothing too rude for them to see.

The makers of the first two Carry On films weren't thinking about making a long series, this was the third film to use the leading title, and obviously twenty seven more followed. Basically at Maudin Street Secondary Modern School the students overhear that Headmaster William 'Wakie' Wakefield (Ted Ray), who has been there for twenty years, is planning to leave and apply to another school as Headmaster. To stop him from going anywhere, and knowing that he wants all the staff to run everything smoothly for the visit to the school by Ministry of Education Inspector Felicity Wheeler (Rosalind Knight) and child psychiatrist Alistair Grigg (Leslie Phillips), the students start a revolution of sorts. They start by creating chaos in the classrooms that the visitors will be visiting, by making the teachers slip up, including science master Gregory Adams (Kenneth Connor), English master Edwin Milton (Kenneth Williams), music teacher Michael Bean (Charles Hawtrey), gym mistress Sarah Allcock (Joan Sims) and maths teacher Grace Short (Hattie Jacques). While the students are succeeding in ruining Wakefield's chances of leaving with his good reputation going in tatters, Griggs has other things on his mind, such as his affection for Miss Allock, and vice versa. Miss Wheeler does feel very disgusted by the youngsters behaviour towards some of the teachers, but she is distracted too by her feelings towards Mr. Adams. Knowing that his chances of going to the new school are going down the drain, Wakefield decides to get Adams to tell Miss Wheeler his true feelings towards her, he is unsuccessful for a while, but he does eventually come out with it. The students meanwhile are trying to sabotage the last day of term, they are caught in the act and taken to the Headmaster, and they explain how upset they were to hear that he might be leaving, Miss Wheeler is moved to give a good report, and Wakefield also moved said he won't leave and will see all the students next term. Also starring Cyril Chamberlain as Alf Hudson, Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Stevens and Carol White as Sheila Dale. Like the hospital set films later in the series, the school does make a good setting for the story, the cast of course are all likable, the slapstick and occasional double entendre innuendo based jokes are funny, and it is just a good fun British comedy. Carry On films were number 39 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons. Good!

The simple story has been well told by others but its enough to say that this movie remembers kids and schools as places quite different from what they are now. I would hate to be a teacher today but way back then it was a different, kinder and nicer world. This is not an hilarious movie but its a charming one. The great Brirtish actors are all there. The stylish Leslie Philips was always the most unlikely actor to be considered a sex symbol but he was always fun to watch. The great Hawtry of course continues to steal every scene he is in. THe others are all there. An extra bonus is Ted Ray who plays the head. This actor was well known to British audiences but quite unknown outside the UK. He gives a beautifully restrained performance and his final scene is very moving. One fine performance in this movie comes from Rosaling Knight as Miss Wheeler. This lovely actress enchanted many a movie. One of those great reliable actresses, we never knew her name but the minute she appeared the screen lit up. The only real jarring note in most Carry on movies was Kenneth Connor. I find his characters annoying and his mumbling was simply irritating back then but now its just woeful. Carry on teaching is not the funniest of films but its full of charm. The itchy powder scene however is great fun and that Romeo and Juliet production is not unlike some school plays we have all endured.This is a sweet innocent movie anda delightful piece of nostagia.

The third Carry On film and arguably the best of the first three, this one is amusing from start and always full of laughs. The jokes are funnier than in the two previous entries, and Leslie Phillips is in particularly good form this time. It is still very silly, and in terms of the plot it is not all that much better than 'Carry On Sergeant' and 'Carry On Nurse', with the practical jokes becoming a bit tiresome towards the end and a story that is very simplistic. Still, the film comes highly recommended from me, as everything seems to fit together rather well, including appropriately used music. It is not a perfect film, but definitely a bit of a delight to watch.