Head Teacher Rachel wanted her home-grown pupils to extend the hand of friendship to the new kids but that’s more likely to happen if she leads by example. Executive Head Max makes that difficult for her, though, being the bully that he is. Max is showing no signs of easing up on his military-style discipline and it’s still not a strategy that Rachel is willing to salute. Art teacher Kim, on the other hand, has been flattered into submission. Having created some modern art with the kids at the start of term to create unity, Kim’s now moved on to the Waterloo Road Garden project, a quiet place for the pupils to retreat to. She might want to use it herself, though, when she sees how Max treats Luke… The Year 10 lad finds himself the subject of ridicule when it gets around school that he lives in a care home. After a day of taunts, Luke snaps and Max decides the boy needs to be taught a lesson… The trouble doesn’t end when the school bell rings, either. Rachel and Deputy Head Chris have to break up another rumble between the girls. Elsewhere, French teacher Steph plays hooky from the teaching course she desperately needs to attend. That’s not the way to get top marks!
