BBC school drama ‘Waterloo Road‘ is back this September with a brand new series, a fresh transmission pattern, and first-look photos that show things are about to get lively in the corridors.
The long-running hit will drop the entire series on BBC iPlayer from 6am, but fans who prefer a weekly watch can look forward to double helpings every Tuesday night on BBC One, with the first episode at 9pm followed by another at 10.40pm.
Series 16 introduces Jon Richardson (Meet The Richardsons) as the school’s new media studies teacher, Darius Donovan. He’s described as charming and showy, the sort of teacher who makes an impression, and his arrival is certain to shake up the staffroom and classrooms alike.
Also joining are new students Fintan Buckard (Phoenix Rise) and Savannah Kunyo (Coronation Street) as Ben and Hope Drake, alongside Christine Bottomley (Sherwood) as their mum, Sam. They’re connected to Dame Stella Drake (played by Lindsey Coulson), who made her mark as headteacher last year, so expect family drama to ripple through the halls.
The new run doesn’t stop there. Christopher Jeffers (Riot Women) comes in as Mitch Swift, the new SenCo lead, while Jason Merrells returns as Jack Rimmer, Waterloo Road’s original head, now stepping in as counsellor. Together, they’ll be working to support the kids who need it most.
In classic Waterloo Road fashion, the series will continue to balance warm character stories with gritty real-life issues. Expect storylines tackling the cost-of-living crisis, addiction, mental health, exam anxiety, allergies management and grief. One episode will even head out on location, directed by Angela Griffin, as the students take part in a community clean-up that spirals into chaos.
Behind the camera, episodes are also directed by Lloyd Eyre Morgan, Ruth Carney, Jesse Quinones and Mike Lacey. The series is produced by Rope Ladder Fiction and Wall to Wall North, with Lindsay Williams as Series Producer, and executive producers Cameron Roach and Leanne Klein.
The returning parent and teacher cast includes Adam Thomas (Donte Charles), Hollie-Jay Bowes (Debs Rafferty), James Baxter (Joe Casey), Jo Coffey (Wendy Whitwell), Kym Marsh (Nicky Walters), Neil Fitzmaurice (Neil Guthrie), Rachel Leskovac (Coral Walker), Ryan Clayton (Mike Rutherford) and Shauna Shim (Valerie Chambers).
On the student side, familiar faces returning include Aabay Noor Ali (Mollie “Mog” Richardson), Chiamaka Ulebor (Shola Aku), Danny Murphy (Luca Smith), Hattie Dynevor (Libby Guthrie), Liam Scholes (Noel McManus), Maisey Robinson (Portia Weever), Miya Ocego (Lois Taylor-Brown), Sonya Nisa (Aleena Qureshi), Summer Violet Bird (Tonya Walters), Thapelo Ray (Dwayne Jackson), Tillie Amartey (Stacey “Stace” Neville) and Zak Sutcliffe (“Schuey” Weever).
‘Waterloo Road‘ Season 16 premieres Tuesday, 23rd September 2025 on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
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