After the eponymous school of Waterloo Road being threatened with closure by the LEA due to falling pupil numbers, bad behaviour and the bad publicity, the new Headmaster Jack Rimmer and his enthusiastic Deputy Head Andrew Treneman try to improve the situation. However, this task seems to be not easy since they have to face tough problems from both students and teachers everyday, including drink driving and underage driving of two students Adam Deardon and Donte Charles, bullying and sexual harassment of Lewis Seddon to teacher Kim Campbell, or the break-up of English teachers Tom Clarkson and Lorna Dickey due to Tom's affair with Lorna's best friend, teacher Izzie Redpath.