First episode of Series 3.
Synopsis[]
Though given a bravery award, Jack blames himself for Izzie's death, as does Tom. With Andrew gone, Eddie Lawson is the new deputy head, whilst Steph, new Head of Pastoral Care, courts controversy by admitting Karla, a pupil with Asperger's syndrome, who attacks Grantly. Faced with a staff walkout, Jack gets Davina to give Karla special tutoring. Two new teachers start work: Nervous, newly-qualified Jasmine Koreshi, and charismatic drama teacher Matt Wilding, who rashly promises to write a school musical. Tom feels frustrated when Chlo and Donte secretly marry, but, advised by Janeece, agrees to stay at home with them and not move out.
Plot[]
It's a new school year at Waterloo Road, following the exit of Roger Aspinall and Jerry Preston after they failed to change Waterloo Road into the Roger Aspinall Academy. Many new pupils and some new staff are brought in by headteacher Jack Rimmer, most notably new deputy head Eddie Lawson, who replaced Andrew Treneman following his exit to Rwanda. Jasmine Koreshi is introduced as an English teacher and Matt Wilding is introduced as the Head of Music and Drama.
The episode opens with Jack being interviewed on a radio show about the fatal stabbing of Izzie Redpath. We also see Izzie's family in the opening scene (Her daughters Chlo and Mika, and her fiancé Tom Clarkson). Chlo switches the radio off as they don't want to think about it.
Chlo immediately reveals to Tom that she and Donte have been speaking about getting married. Tom shrugs this off, and Chlo tells him that if he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to be at the wedding. It turns out that Chlo and Donte are getting married in the afternoon, but she doesn't tell Tom that for fear that he will react angrily. Mika then makes Chlo promise that she will tell Tom. In school, there is a bit of tension between Donte and Chlo, as Chlo tells Donte that she hasn't told her stepdad the full story about the wedding. Trouble may be brewing, as well-known blabbermouth Janeece finds out about the wedding when she sees Donte give Brett the rings to look after. Janeece says she will keep quiet but it's clear she hasn't done when we see her in her English class.
New pupil Bolton Smilie is portrayed as a bad boy straight from the start after Eddie finds a pornographic magazine in Bolton's bag during the bag searches at the start of the episode. It is discussed that new drama teacher Matt Wilding is still stuck abroad, and would not make it in time for the first day.
Meanwhile, Tom and Jack are at odds with each other following the death of Izzie. Davina tries to talk to Tom, but Tom just gets angry at her, saying all Jack had to do was "play it by the book", but at least he got "a nice medal for it".
Also in this episode, a difficult pupil is introduced. Karla Bentham is a girl with Asperger's syndrome. Things are difficult right away as Jack tells Karla to wait outside (the office), but Karla took what Jack said literally and stood outside the school. It turns out Karla has been moved to three schools in as many years, due to aggressive behaviour and rudeness. Despite this, Jack agrees to take her on.
In school, French teacher Steph Haydock was revealed as the new Head of Pastoral Care, following Kim Campbell's departure from the school with Andrew Treneman. Steph already finds herself too out of her depth as she is trusted with Karla's medication.
Karla's silence in her first period in Maths, in a lesson on the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio, catches Mr Lawson's attention. After a short chat, in which Karla shows she took all the information in and has read all of Shakespeare, Lawson is surprised she is in the bottom set, and immediately takes her to Mr Rimmer, to be asked she be promoted in his and Grantly Budgen's English class to the top set in both.
However, this turns out to be a recipe for disaster. Davina Shackleton is assigned to assist Karla in her English class, as a good experience for her proposed teacher training. They get to know each other whilst Grantly's class reads. Grantly catches them talking and, despite Davina's protests, proceeds to intimidate Karla, who eventually attacks him with a chair.
After the lesson, Jack and Eddie check in each class and are surprised to find none of the teachers are in them. It transpires that Grantly, irritated by Jack's decision to admit Karla into his class, has led a mass walkout of staff, only averted by Jack asking Davina to give Karla extra tuition. During their next English lesson, Grantly separates Karla, later joined by Davina, away from him and the rest of the class.
It also becomes apparent that Steph Haydock has not given Karla her prescribed tablets during lunch.
Near the end of the episode, Matt arrives as the new drama teacher, with big plans to put on drama-related extra-curriculars, including a school musical. Whilst Jack is surprised, he is nonetheless excited for the new prospects.
Former Waterloo Road pupil Lewis Seddon returns as a member of the catering staff in the school canteen.
Main cast[]
Staff[]
- Jason Merrells as Jack Rimmer
- Jason Done as Tom Clarkson
- Neil Morrissey as Eddie Lawson (first appearance)
- Christine Tremarco as Davina Shackleton
- Denise Welch as Steph Haydock
- Philip Martin Brown as Grantly Budgen
- Craig Fitzpatrick as Lewis Seddon
- Jacqueline Kington as Bridget Morley (first appearance)
- Shabana Bakhsh as Jasmine Koreshi (first appearance)
- Kay Purcell as Candice Smilie (first appearance)
- Chris Geere as Matt Wilding (first appearance)
Students[]
- Katie Griffiths as Chlo Grainger
- Lauren Drummond as Mika Grainger
- Adam Thomas as Donte Charles
- Tom Payne as Brett Aspinall
- Ellie Paskell as Maxine Barlow
- Chelsee Healey as Janeece Bryant
- Tachia Newall as Bolton Smilie (first appearance)
- Jessica Baglow as Karla Bentham (first appearance)
- Lauren Thomas as Aleesha Dillon (first appearance)
- Lucy Dixon as Danielle Harker (first appearance)
- Stefan Gumbs as Damon (first appearance)
Others[]
- Caroline Strong as Annette Bentham (one-off appearance)
- Steve Money as Clarence Charles
- Chris Finch as Colin Scott (first appearance)
