Waterloo Road is set to return to our screens later on this month (Wednesday 28 October) but with all the new faces and story lines about to hit us, we thought we would give you the low down on the new series before its on TV. So lets get started.

It’s all change at Waterloo Road, the school has been merged with local private school John Fosters after it was forced to close when wealthy parents could no longer afford the fees. As a result around a hundred new pupils are enrolled at Waterloo Road and neither the “posh” John Fosters pupils nor the “scuzzy” Waterloo Road kids are happy about it.

Part one of our articles on Waterloo Road is about the New Characters of this series.

New Characters

Amanda Burton is to join the cast of Waterloo Road as headteacher Karen Fisher. Burton previously starred in Silent Witness. Amanda begins filming on location in November and will make her first appearance in the drama next year. On joining the series Amanda Burton said “I’m very excited to join Waterloo Road which is such a well-known and well-loved series,” Burton said. “I can’t wait to get started on the programme and am very much looking forward to my first day on set with the cast and crew.”  The BBC said “Amanda is an actress of exceptional quality and enormous popularity with the audience. We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming her to Waterloo Road.

Next up to join the show is Strictly Coming Dancing winner and Holby City star Tom Chambers. Chambers joins the cast as Max Tyler, a new Executive Head brought in to oversee a merger between Waterloo Road and local private school John Fosters. He also has some very strong ideas on how the new-look school is going to operate. Max Tyler is a driven, highly ambitious man with a hard-working ethos who measures schools’ achievements via league table success. For Max, children need boundaries, discipline, a sense of purpose and respect for others. Speaking about the role, Tom says: “Max is on a mission – to stamp out disobedience and improve academic results. He is passionate and explosive when it comes to the control and discipline that he desires.

Elizabeth Berrington joins the cast as Ruby Fry. Fry is in her late thirties. She is airlifted in by Max to teach the kids how to cook because it’s now a compulsory part of the curriculum. She’s passionate about food and cooking but is an outright snob and looks down her nose at both the Waterloo Road pupils and staff alike. Ruby’s job allows her to indulge in her favourite pastime, which is showing the plebs how it’s done. And she’s not above dispensing advice in areas outside of cooking, if she believes her expert guidance is necessary. So basically shes a snob that hates everyone around her but cant wait to open her big mouth when ever its not needed.

New lower sixth John Foster’s girl Lindsay James is the daughter of fairly well-to-do parents and a hard nut to crack. Lindsay has traditionally been a model student, but after her mother, Marion, is arrested on suspicion of murdering her father, Lindsay explodes like a rocket at the smallest infraction. Unable to face the enormity of events at home, she throws herself aggressively into the growing gang war and soon finds herself at the head of the John Foster’s girls. And the only time we ever see her let down her “hard as nails” persona is when she’s looking out for her little sister, Em. Lindsay James is played by Jenna Louise Coleman.

Head of Modern Languages at John Foster’s (and Steph’s new boss) is Jo Lipsett. Jo’s in her early thirties, she’s determined, spirited and brings talent to the staffroom with a true enthusiasm for her subject. Jo has worked hard to become Head of Languages at the tender age of 31, but behind the youthful veneer is an old-style school teacher who exudes confidence and authority and is respected by staff and pupils alike. Much like her character in Sugar Rush, Sarah Jane Potts character Jo is a lesbian which she neither denies nor flaunts.

New English teacher Helen Hopewell is just 23 and in her first year as a qualified teacher. She is enthusiastic and shiny-eyed but, unfortunately, incompetent and weak-willed. Quickly nicknamed “Hopeless Hopewell” by the pupils, Amy and Michaela in particular grind Helen down and, while Tom does his best to take her under his wing, Helen doesn’t seem to be improving. Instead she blames all her failures on the “savagery” of the Waterloo Road pupils. Helen is played by Vinette Robinson.

And finally. Max’s Deputy Head is Christopher Mead. In his early thirties and born and bred in Cheshire, Christopher is the son of self-made working class parents. Ambitious and attractive, Christopher followed his parents’ example on leaving school and won himself a high-powered job in the city, where he excelled at chasing big bucks. When he lost his job Christopher turned to education as a stopgap, but discovered his true calling as a science teacher and is one of the most popular members of staff – especially among the female pupils.

More Waterloo Road news for you all soon.