Topics covered include discussions around transforming the school into an academy, grief, catfishing, truancy, cultural identity, teen pregnancy, cancer, child abuse, planning for the future, theft, isolation, student-teacher crushes, abortion, family conflict, and relationship issues.
Previously news reports had revealed that series thirteen would introduce five new cast members as pupils, namely Hattie Dynevor as Libby Guthrie, Zak Sutcliffe as Schumacher "Schuey" Weever, Tillie Amartey as Stacey "Stace" Neville, Maisie Robinson as Portia Weever, and Aabay Noor Ali as Mollie 'Mog' Richardson.
[2][3] Kim decides to tackle truancy with a new life skills initiative, starting with letters to parents of the most persistent offenders, employing a carrot and stick approach.
The carrot being the promise of a free bus to Waterloo Road on the first day of the new term, and the stick highlighting that truancy is a criminal offence with a potential £2000 fine.
Confronted by Samia and a cohort of Danny's friends, the rival groups trade insults before the all too predictable partisan punch-up, during which Tonya lands a right hook on the loud-mouthed Schuey, resulting in a bloodied nose.
She is keen to join his trust-led group of schools, but decides to keep it under wraps from her staff until Neil, now teachers' representative on the board of governors, reveals all.
Neil and Coral meanwhile have grown close after the catfishing incident and want to take things to the next level, but Libby interprets this as the reason her father doesn’t want her around.
Kim comes to the conclusion that her removal as Head was contingent on Waterloo Road becoming a part of the Academy Trust and Andrew had ended their relationship to make this easier.
When Schuey locks Maths teacher Mr Todd in a store cupboard, the unsupervised pupils leave class and take over the staff room.
Kelly Jo interprets this as a proxy visit from Dean in yet another attempt to make her change her mind about the termination, but asks Samia to accompany her for support.
After returning from periods of suspension for their parts in the inset day trouble, Libby continues to fan the flames with Kelly Jo and Schuey finds himself confined to the Behavioural Unit.
An electrical fault sees Donte checking the fuse box only to discover Tonya's cache of shoplifted items which Schuey was hoping to fence.
The revelation of the relationship takes the rest of their respective children by surprise and any hopes of friendship reignited between Izzy and Tonya fizzle out rapidly.
Kim learns the Academy Trust are offering alternative premises for the school, but with strings attached that would adversely affect the students most in need.
Amy approaches Neil to show him Libby's latest essay, highlighting the fact that not only is it a work of unashamed plagiarism, but that his daughter lied about its authorship so easily.
When Andrew finds himself at the coal face teaching to cover for Coral, the pupils, more interested in his personal life than poetry, open his eyes to the fact there might be items on his bucket list he should be ticking off before it is too late.