Dame Stella Drake is the headteacher at Waterloo Road from Series 15 onwards.
Once at the top of the Ofsted ranks, Dame Stella found herself knocked off her pedestal thanks to her cutting words about parental incompetence going viral, but her uncompromising work ethic, strict moral compass and no-nonsense approach makes her the perfect candidate to reform Waterloo Road.[1]
Stella joins the school as the students become increasingly unruly following the effects of last term and she soon feels out of date as she clashes with the school's modern pastoral approach. Her unfiltered honesty is both endearing and abrasive.[1]
She tells it as it is and while her intent is to inspire positive change, her methods can sometimes ruffle feathers. Stella might have the students' best interests at heart but soon her personal life spills over into the professional and fans will be left wondering what skeletons she could be hiding?[1]
Series 15[]
After successfully being headhunted by Serena-Michelle Davies, Stella's confidence in returning to school leadership is seriously shaken after an altercation with her former student Gemma Neville lands her in hospital. Her staff are worried at how quickly she attempts to return to work, and she eventually gives in to their requests for her to consider counselling. Although she does not find the input of her counsellor, Jack Rimmer, personally useful, she does see the benefit of pastoral care in improving students' lives and offers Jack a job in charge of the pastoral provision at Waterloo Road at the end of the series.
Series 16[]
In Episode 1, Stella's grandchildren Ben and Hope are enrolled in the school following their mother being admitted to a mental hospital.
The series follows Stella managing her personal life and work, and the two merging. From religious debates to staff having inappropriate connections with students online, Stella has to tackle a whole lot of new challenges in the series. But her world is turned upside down after her granddaughter Hope tragically dies from her severe allergies. She searches for answers and tries to continue running the school, although struggling with the devastating passing of Hope.
In Episode 5, Serena-Michelle Davies appoints herself as Acting Headteacher while Stella is on bereavement leave. Stella later talks to Serena-Michelle due to the incident. Stella says to Serena-Michelle that she's better off managing the business side of things.
In Episode 7, Stella was mad at Wendy about the tragic incident for Stella's granddaughter's death, but until her mother heard what Stella said, she just went to pick up her son and do something new, but she was stopped by Stella, and they were in the car, and they would think something who did something to Hope.
In Episode 8, Darius spoke to Stella about Jack that Darius and Jack had really got a really good relationship but after the fight between Jack and Darius. Darius keeps lying about the tragic incident, and Donte told Stella that Jack was drinking and Stella checked his bottle with alcohol thingy. Stella fires Jack with alcohol thingy and Darius was lying and he got approached as co-deputy head.
Series 17[]
Trivia[]
- It can be presumed that Stella is a former English teacher, as when the Year 6 pupils come during Series 16, she's covering Coral's English group.
- She prefers not to be called Dame as she feels like she's in a pantomime, as she explains in Series 15 Episode 1 to the staff team.
- Stella was apparently acquainted with Kim Treneman, as she seemed familiar with her name when it was brought up in a conversation between her and Joe Casey about fostering in Series 15 Episode 7.