S06E01: Karen Fisher arrives at Waterloo Road

Opinionated and ambitious, Karen Fisher is determined to bring change, making Waterloo Road a safe and vibrant place to learn. However, Karen's steely exterior masks a deeper fragility as she and her family wrestle with a recent tragedy.

Karen's first challenge at the school arrives in the form of the Kirbys - sixth-former Jonah and 13-year-old genius Ruth - who have both been home-schooled by their father Marcus. Marcus's ex-wife Hannah wants her children to experience mainstream schooling, but he has little faith in the state education system. While Jonah relishes the opportunity to make new friends and have new experiences, high-achiever Ruth feels she's got little to learn and soon takes matters into her own hands by running away.

When the school discover Ruth's disappearance, they alert the police and form a search party. The process proves particularly hard for Karen, as it is a painful reminder of her own family situation.

Meanwhile, deputy head Chris Mead finds himself in the middle of a professional crisis. After meeting a young woman in a club the previous evening and spending the night with her, a smitten Chris arrives at school to discover that not only is she a new sixth-form student, but she's also Karen's daughter Jess Fisher. He tries to draw a line under the incident but Jess has other ideas about their relationship, leaving Chris no choice but to resign.

Elsewhere, attractive new Spanish teacher Francesca 'Cesca' Montoya makes an impression on staff and students alike, and former pupil Janeece returns to the school as the new secretary - complete with a surprise of her own.

In the playground, Lauren has fallen out with Sambuca, annoyed that her "best mate" ditched her over the summer - for a boy.