Schoolboy Jerôme Höffner, a brilliant nerd, is despised and pestered by his 'cool' classmates, except assertive immigrant Said, who protects him. Foppish mother Debbie Höffner's cool latest lover Marco Schmitz teaches his 'stepson' to fight back against bullies, but breaking Jan's nose in self-defense, Jerôme is forced in therapy with a child psychologist, who finds him a genius and recommends a mensa boarding school, but he willfully scores average on tests, fearing Debbie can't cope alone, until her clumsy attempts to offer enrichment privately frustrate him enough to visit, with Said, Dr. Kleybold's IQ school, which proves most tempting.