It's the start of a new school year!

It’s the start of a new school year at Waterloo Road, which means it’s all change in the staffroom. But for new headmaster Michael Byrne, getting back into school life is making for a tough time. It transpires that at his previous school, Mr Byrne was involved in an incident with pupils which has led to him having to appear in court.

Meanwhile, the students are all struggling with going back to school after Sambuca’s death – especially her boyfriend Finn. However, when he spots new girl Trudi, he immediately takes a shine to her.

Back with the teachers, and newlyweds Sian and Jez Diamond are settling into their new roles as teachers of science and PE at Waterloo Road. But word soon gets round that Sian has a romantic history with Michael Byrne – something Jez is finding very uncomfortable.

Plus when the Taylor boys Phoenix and Harley start acting up at school, all of the teachers are trying to get to the bottom of what’s wrong. Struggling with the loss of their grandmother that very morning, both boys are distraught at the thought of now having to go and live with their father. Taking matters into his own hands, Mr Byrne tracks down the boys’ dad and tries to build bridges between this broken family.