The new Head is put to the test

At the end of series five, Waterloo Road’s school prom became a leaving party for newly-married Head Teacher Rachel, who took off on her honeymoon with Adam with no plans to return. So as the school opens for another term, there’s a new boss ready to rule – and Deputy Head Chris is forced to resign... Ambitious Head Teacher Karen Fisher (Amanda Burton – The Commander) plans to take Waterloo Road to new heights but quickly finds life at the school can be more testing than an A level examiner. And her first challenge exposes some cracks in her steely exterior. Jonah Kirby, 16, and his genius sister Ruth, 13 have been home-schooled in the past, but mum Hannah (Kaye Wragg – The Bill) wants them to experience a school environment. Jonah loves the idea, but Ruth runs away – and Karen is forced to confront a painful family situation of her own. Deputy Head Chris is having a bad start to the new term, too. He picked up Jess in a club, slept with her – and then discovers she’s a new Sixth Former at Waterloo Road and Karen Fisher’s daughter! Chris is horrified and wants no more to do with Jess. But she wants more of him and he’s forced to resign. There’s a surprise return to the school, too, when Janeece installs herself as the new secretary. Yes, really!

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.