The show follows the lives of the teachers and the pupils at the eponymous school of Waterloo Road, a failing inner-city comprehensive, tackling a wide range of issues often seen as taboo such as alcoholism, pyromania, teenage pregnancy, fostering, exorcism, coercive control, freeganism, adoption, pole-dancing, rape, burn injury, terminal illness, workplace bullying, self-harming, deafness, activism, blackmail, gender identity disorder, euthanasia, alcoholic hepatitis, assault, kidney failure, kidney donation and post-traumatic stress disorder.

As the new Waterloo Road opens its doors in Scotland for the first time, the staff and students from Rochdale are still reeling from the accident that killed Denzil Kelly and left Tariq in a wheelchair.

Lula Tsibi's issues come to a head at Denzil's memorial service, and Tom faces a race against time to stop her overbearing uncle from performing an exorcism on her.

Lorraine's competition to design a bench leads to tension between quiet student Morag and her over-protective father.

Sian is shocked when Madi reveals her plans to leave Waterloo Road and Greenock, while Billy asks Michael to help him end his life.

Lorraine comes up with a simple but blunt plan to iron out bad results, putting Phoenix and other students' future at Waterloo Road in jeopardy.

Nikki Boston returns to Waterloo Road to head up the new PRU, and instantly locks horns with Scout.

Tina says she wants a new start with her daughter, but Scout is unwilling to believe her, telling Tom that she has fallen for her mother's tricks too many times.

Grantly is rushed to hospital after collapsing, and given some shattering news, while Chalky accepts a business offer away from Greenock, but leaves Kevin behind.

Newcomer Fergal and his mother Teresa try to escape an impossible situation, and Harley and Nikki are caught up in the middle of their dramas.

Although he tries to tell her he's changed, he is soon part of Barry's dodgy jobs and threatens Kevin when he notices a spark between him and Dynasty.

Lorraine calls time on her relationship with Nikki when Michael discovers the truth, leading to a breakdown in communication.

Steve-O continues to be a menacing presence in Greenock, while Josh returns to Waterloo Road and is stunned by Tom's plan to donate his kidney to Grantly.

Christine pulls out all the stops and manages to get the job at Havelock, but Michael, not wishing to lose his partner and colleague, gives her an offer that she cannot refuse instead.

When Lorraine announces she wishes to turn Waterloo Road into a fee-paying school, Michael is disgusted and promptly hands in his resignation.

Sonya, unable to cope with her guilt any longer, admits her affair with Ndale to a devastated Audrey, who decides to go ahead with the wedding anyway.

Nikki takes over as head, but struggles when a load of the staff strike, and despite Lorraine's best attempts, quits at the end of the day.

Although Michael is headteacher once again, he still has not told Lorraine about his plans to turn Waterloo Road into a Local Authority school.

When she does find out, she hits the roof, announcing plans to turn the school into 'the Lorraine Donnegan Institute of Excellence' and threatening to kick the schoolhouse kids out.

After a failed attempt at persuading Lorraine, Michael decides to leave Greenock for London; and Christine is devastated by the news he doesn't want her to come with him.

As Christine's first day as headmistress of Waterloo Road begins, Carol Barry hatches a scheme to show Kevin up on national TV; and invites his mother along for the ride.