Episode Overview
As the new Waterloo Road school opens in Scotland, headteacher Michael Byrne faces the challenges of managing a couple of runaway teens and a growing rivalry with a local headmaster. Jade, a teenager escaping from foster care, lives in a squat with her overbearing boyfriend, Drew, but dreams of a better future. She decides to enroll at Waterloo Road, convincing Drew to join her despite his fears of being caught. The local media coverage has been mostly positive, except for a complaint from Gerard Findlay, headmaster of Havelock High, who accuses Waterloo Road of poaching his students. When Jade and Drew arrive, Drew charms Lorraine, even though he’s not officially registered, but soon Tom witnesses Drew’s volatile side. Tensions rise when Michael offers Jade a place in the school house but excludes Drew, prompting Jade to reveal a secret with serious implications for both of them. In the staffroom, new teachers Christine Mulgrew and Audrey McFall introduce themselves, but not everyone is thrilled