How do I solve 15 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31261?

Question

Accepted Answer

15 across reads "Class touched by head's affection" (8 letters); the answer is KINDNESS. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Class touched by head's affection (8)

15A — Class touched by head's affection (8) — KINDNESS