The BBC have confirmed that the new series of Waterloo Road (7x60’) will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in January.

Fans have been treated to a glimpse of the new upcoming drama as a set of first-look images of cast members have been released, introducing the new series and offering insight as to what is to come.

As a new school year begins, a peaceful protest turns into a school riot and the events of the day will have huge ramifications for everyone involved.

Across the term, Waterloo Road’s teachers and parents are going to have to learn on their feet as they try to navigate the ever changing social landscape - from teen homelessness to the cost of living, being LGBTQ+, racism, sexism, mental health and everything else facing young teens today.

Amongst the chaos, the students, faculty and parents still make time for friendships, fun, and a few romances. The pupils have a lot to contend with this term, but they will learn to lean on one another to survive the year and try to stay out of detention as much as possible.

Riots, scandals, fractured families and challenging kids – for Headteacher Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin) and her team, fire-fighting is a way of life. Who said education was easy?

The cast includes Angela Griffin (Kim Campbell), Adam Thomas (Donte Charles), Katie Griffiths (Chlo Charles), Kym Marsh (Nicky Walters), Vincent Jerome (Lindon King), James Baxter (Joe Casey), Jo Coffey (Wendy Whitwell), Shauna Shim (Valerie Chambers), Neil Fitzmaurice (Neil Guthrie), Rachel Leskovac (Coral Walker), Katherine Pearce (Amy Spratt), Ryan Clayton (Mike Rutherford) and Sonia Ibrahim (Jamilah Omar).

Actors playing pupil characters include Adam Abbou (Danny Lewis), Priyasasha Kumari (Samia Choudhry), Noah Valentine (Preston Walters), Adam Ali (Kai Sharif), Alicia Forde (Kelly-Jo Rafferty), Francesco Piacentini-Smith (Dean Weever), Liam Scholes (Noel McManus) and Lucy Eleanor Begg (Caz Williams).

Scarlett Thomas plays Izzy Charles and fellow junior student casting includes Summer Violet Bird (Tonya Walters), Ava Flannery (Verity King), Thapelo Ray (Dwanye Jackson), Inathi Rozani (Zayne Jackson), Chiamaka (ChiChi) Ulebor (Shola Aku) and Sahil Ismailkhil (Norrulah Ashimi).

Waterloo Road is a Rope Ladder Fiction and Wall to Wall North co-production for the BBC. The executive producers are Cameron Roach for Rope Ladder Fiction, and Gaynor Holmes and Jo McClellan for the BBC.

Waterloo Road’s Manchester base underlines the BBC’s commitment to make more programmes across the UK, boosting drama production skills in the North of England and helping to reshape BBC drama to better reflect and serve all parts of the country. Since production restarted in Greater Manchester for the returning series, twenty trainees on the Waterloo Road production trainee scheme have completed six-month placements across ten skill areas. Led by the teams at Wall to Wall and Rope Ladder Fiction and with the support of Screen Manchester and HOME Manchester, the hands-on scheme provides training in junior roles for the next generation of talent.