It is the first day back at school, and returning head teacher Karen Fisher has plenty to contend with when the new site manager, Rob Scotcher, discovers an abandoned baby on the premises. New staff members Eleanor Chaudry and Daniel Chalk adapt differently to life at Waterloo Road. Elsewhere, Rob's son Aiden makes a memorable first impression on Jess and Vicki.

A shy and effeminate year 12 pupil is branded a 'perv' when he is caught poring over a lingerie magazine - but the truth is far more complicated than Chris imagines. Rose and Sambuca learn that her seizures are being caused by a brain tumour, and Vicki is disappointed that Jess and Aiden appear to be growing even closer.

Amy Porter has a stalker, which draws battle lines between Karen and Eleanor. Rose and Tom try to protect Sambuca from the truth about her life-threatening tumour. Ronan proposes to Vicki - but can she resist Aiden's advances?

New girl Evie Prior shows up at the school but something about her story doesn't quite add up. She is soon upsetting the rest of her classmates and causing problems for Karen. Evie attempts to empathise with Finn, who's devastated by girlfriend Sam's terminal illness. The school ends up being forced to deal with the fallout when the truth about Evie is revealed. Eleanor and Daniel have their appra...

It's launch day for Karen's new community café and she's invited the Director of Education along, as the popular school drama continues. But with Daniel Chalk in charge, will the café be ready in time? Twins Shona and Rhona are acting up in class, because they're caught in the middle of a bitter custody battle between their mum and gran. As the court makes its decision, the twins' gran takes mat...

Sam is keen to find the father she's never known before she dies, and secretly enlists the help of Lauren and Finn on a quest to Blackpool, as the popular school drama continues. But when she most needs someone to rely on, will Sam be disappointed? After a run of bad publicity, Karen is keen to promote a positive image of Waterloo Road and hires PR woman Linda Wickes to put a positive spin on th...

It is the day of Sambuca's memorial service, and everyone struggles with their grief. Vicki discovers she is pregnant with Aiden's child, and leaves Aiden reeling - just as Jess drops a bombshell of her own. Karen realises that her attempts to impress Richard Whitman are futile; his desire to close Waterloo Road has become a personal crusade.

Chris confiscates drugs from scruffy pupil Scout Allen, and is shocked to discover she is a drugs courier. A mock student election brings Vicki and Jess together - and the staff are shocked to learn that Waterloo Road could face closure.

You do wonder what it takes for a teacher to be sacked from Waterloo Road. Having drugs in your pocket doesn't do it (step forward Chris Mead); neither does sleeping with a pupil (Chris again); and an inability to keep order in class doesn't count - every teacher is guilty of that. But now it seems you're safe even if, like Eleanor Chaudry, you've been feeding confidential information to the Direc...

The school faces an independent inspection and it is revealed Chris allowed a pupil to spend the night at his house. Both Karen's job and the school's future are on the line, and as the staff rally round, Jess tells Eleanor if she wants to save Waterloo Road she needs to take action. Meanwhile, the prospect of being taken into care causes Scout to run away - with Chris, the police and a drug deale...

New 'super head' Michael Byrne faces a baptism of fire when he discovers that pupils Phoenix and Harley Taylor have been concealing a dead body. Meanwhile, Grantly spearheads the staff's resistance to Michael's reforms, while Tom finds himself the underdog in his bid for deputy head. Elsewhere, new girl Trudi Saddiqui makes a memorable first impression on Finn Sharkey.

Jez and Sian Diamond plan a dinner party so that they can try to get to know their colleagues better but the unexpected arrival of Jez's estranged children, Madi and Zack throws everything up into the air. Michael's A-level recruitment drive sees him at loggerheads with Grantly. Scout's enthusiasm for the guitar touches Matt. Vicki ends up being inspired to retake her A-level sciences, but after R...

Michael continues his mission to shake up the school by appointing his old student friend Linda Radleigh as Head of English. However, the newcomer soon has her hands full keeping an eye on Emily, who sneaks out of school to see her sister on the day she is released from prison. Meanwhile, Chalky's crush on Janeece prompts him to join Jez's lunchtime fitness club and Michael tries to get closer to ...

Vicki suffers a black eye in an accident, prompting Sian to suspect Ronan of hitting his girlfriend. Jez enlists ex-pro Ken Watling to prepare for the school's first rugby match - only for the new coach to insist on dropping Zack from the team - and Phoenix is over the moon when Nelson buys him a moped for his birthday. Michael and Linda's relationship takes an interesting turn after she makes him...

Scout is pleased after Mia, a mid-twenties MS sufferer, offers her the position as a live-in carer. Matt organises a special orchestra project but is not pleased after Michael insists that Tariq is included. Michael attempts to keep his distance from Linda. He is concerned though when Sian accepts Linda's help to input the grades. Linda ends up confessing to Sian about their tryst. Michael finds h...

Bad boy Tariq Siddiqui's efforts to turn over a new leaf are short-lived when he discovers that his sister is secretly dating Finn Sharkey. Elsewhere, Michael desperately tries to cover his tracks over the Wayne Johnson incident, and Phoenix's secretive behaviour makes Scout question their relationship.

Tom is put under pressure by Linda's new teaching assistant, Greg, only to discover that Greg has his own secret agenda. Jez's romantic endeavours force Sian to question her affair with Michael, and Vicki's jealousy over Madi pushes her relationship with Ronan to the brink. Elsewhere, Michael is convinced that he has a stalker when his office is broken into.

Michael's paranoia spirals when he discovers the identity of his secret tormentor, and new year 12 pupil Freddie Jackson's life is endangered when Michael fails to read his admission file. A jealous Linda stirs trouble by letting slip that she knows of Sian and Michael's affair, and Emily's rebellious streak threatens to land Scout back in foster care.

Waterloo Road welcomes Viv O'Donnell, local radio DJ superstar, who has arrived to host her live radio show at the school. Everyone's excited about having a masterclass in radio journalism from a chat show supremo; everyone, that is, except her daughter Andi, a loner in Scout and Emily's class, who shies away from her mum's limelight. Sian and Michael wake up late, having spent the night together ...

The last day of term starts badly for Michael when he finds a threatening note on the dashboard of his car. Meanwhile, Jez's unexpected arrival during the staff briefing scuppers any hope that the prize-giving will be the focus of the day. Grantly informs a rattled Michael that Jez will be making a formal complaint to the governors about his affair with Sian and matters come to a head when Jez pul...

It is the first day back at school and Michael's recuperation is cut short when the school is infiltrated by a local gang. Tariq's efforts to turn over a new leaf are challenged by the arrival of new year 13 pupil Mason. Elsewhere, the net closes in on Linda when Chalky exposes her lies.

Lauren is convinced that her only route into a modelling career is by going under the surgeon's knife, and Trudi clashes with Michael over his anti-gang measures. Elsewhere, Josh's drug-smoking lands him in deep trouble with Tom, and Matt is shocked when Rosie goes into premature labour.

While Tom is overseeing the selection process for a new head of English, his relationship with Josh is plunged into crisis by Josh's spiralling drug problem. Elsewhere, Grantly is at a loss when he mislays a large sum of money meant for Fleur's nursing home fees, and it is touch and go for Matt's baby daughter, Martha.

Matt is worried when premature baby daughter Martha needs extra care and relieved when she pulls through but he is desolate to learn that Rosie has started a relationship with Alex,the doctor who saved Martha,and plans to move to Bristol with him and the baby. Zack gets it into his head that Jez is not his father and takes a DNA test. Jez initially sees this as an attempt by Zack to get his attent...

Trudi confides in Tariq that she is pregnant by Finn but they agree to keep it quiet and she arranges for an abortion. After Josh freaks out in Nicki's class Tom tells his son about his suspected condition and suggests they see a psychiatrist. Grantly's wife Fleur deteriorates and he walks out of school,leaving a letter of resignation,to take her away from her care home to the cottage where they s...

Grantly returns to school less than a week after his wife's death and is supported by Harley,as well as Maggie,to whom he is becoming close. On the day of the school fun run star athlete Mercedes Garvey injures her ankle and when Jez takes her home she misreads the signs and throws herself at him. After he has rejected her she claims he made a pass at her and Tom has to get the truth out of her. H...

Jez moves out. Josh returns to school but takes himself off his medication. Whilst researching for his project about plague victim John Ingleby he becomes obsessed with a plague pit under the school. At a seance Emily tricks him into believing that Ingleby is trying to contact him,which has a disastrous effect on him during an exam. Finn and Trudi reconcile but only after she has had an abortion,l...

On the day of her art exam, Shelby struggles to keep her alcohol problem under control, whilst Kyle is caught running an illegal vodka scam. Jez makes a life-changing decision, and the school comes under investigation from the LA.

Scout falls for Ukrainian pupil and would-be football star Danilo,an asylum seeker, and they agree to get married,despite Phoenix's attempts to stop Scout. When Danilo fails to show for football practice Phoenix alerts Tom and he and Sian dash to the registry office. The wedding has been performed but it illegal and Danilo will be deported. More upsetting for Scout is the news that it was a marria...

On the last day of term when the school is preparing for the prom Michael arrives to find that Alan Dixon has already sent letters to the staff announcing Waterloo Road's closure. However he tells them he has agreed to run Lorraine's school and invites them to come with him,most of them agreeing despite it being in Scotland. He gives a motivational speech to the pupils telling them they represent ...