Waterloo Road season 13 saw the revived school drama reopening its doors for another term's worth of antics, and it's now all available on BBC iPlayer.
Waterloo Road series 12 was packed full of surprises, including an initially less-than-welcome reunion for Kim Campbell and her ex-colleague Andrew Treneman, a rock-bottom moment for Nicky Walters, and the tragic loss of one of the school's pupils.
Series 13 was just as dramatic as ever. Five new students joined the school and brought fresh troubles to the corridors. Plus, Kim grappled with her new relationship with her former flame, Andrew Treneman, who was revealed to the head of a school trust that Kim wanted to join to help support her students.
Read on to find out everything you know about Waterloo Road series 13.
Waterloo Road season 13: how to watch and release date
Waterloo Road series 13 originally premiered on Tuesday, January 2; episodes were airing weekly on BBC One. The previous two seasons were made available to stream as box sets on BBC iPlayer, and Waterloo Road season 13 followed suit.
There's been occasional schedule changes throughout the series; the finale aired one day earlier because of the FA Cup
If you've already watched the whole series and want something else to keep you entertain, why not check out our top picks for the best BBC dramas and best BBC comedies we think you should be streaming right now?
Waterloo Road season 13 cast
The Waterloo Road season 13 cast included plenty of returning stars, such as:
- Angela Griffin as Kim Campbell
- James Baxter as Joe Casey
- Vincent Jerome as Lindon King
- Shauna Shim as Valerie Chambers
- Neil Fitzmaurice as Neil Guthrie
- Rachel Leskovac as Coral Walker
- Katherine Pearce as Amy Spratt
- Jo Coffey as Wendy Whitwell
- Kym Marsh as Nicky Walters
- Sonia Ibrahim as Jamilah Omar
- Adam Thomas as Donte Charles
- Ryan Clayton as Mike Rutherford
- Jamie Glover as Andrew Treneman
Series 13 also featured its main cast of pupils: Preston Walters (played by Noah Valentine), Samia Choudry (Priyasasha Kumari), Kai Sharif (Adam Ali), Izzy Charles (Scarlett Thomas), Tonya Walters (Summer Violet Bird), Shola Aku (Chiamaka Ulebor), Caz Williams (Lucy Eleanor Begg), Dean Weaver (Francesco Piacentini-Smith), Kelly-Jo Rafferty (Alicia Forde), Noel McManus (Liam Scholes), Dwayne Jackson (Thapelo Ray) and Zayne Jackson (Inathi Rozani).
The two major exceptions here were Adam Abbou and Osian Morgan. Adam Abbou played Danny Lewis, who tragically lost his life at the end of season 12 after problem pupil Myles Massey (Morgan) flew into a rage and started a fire in the school. Whether we'll see Myles again is unclear; theoretically, we could see him brought to justice for his crime, but he did not appear in series 13.
Five new pupils also joined the show for series 13. The first of our new arrivals was Libby Guthrie, played by Hattie Dynevor. Hattie is the daughter of Coronation Street's Sally Dynevor, and her role in the revived series sees her following in her older sister's footsteps, as Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor played Siobhan Mailey in Waterloo Road's fifth season.
Series 13 also introduced us to Mollie "Mog" Richardson (Aabay Ali), Portia Weever (Maisey Robinson), Schumacher Weaver (Zak Sutcliffe), and Stacey "Stace" Neville (Tillie Amartey).
After Libby first graced the corridors of Waterloo Road school, we spoke to Hattie Dynevor to get the lowdown on her new arrival. She described Libby Guthrie as 'like Marmite - she could be your best friend or your worst enemy, there's no in between'.
Waterloo Road series 13 plot
The teaser that was shown at the end of series 12 gave us an idea of what to expect in the new batch of episodes, including more trouble for Preston and the possibility of a renewed romance between Kim and Andrew Treneman!
When the release date was confirmed, we got a better idea of what to expect from Waterloo Road series 13. The BBC teased that a set of 'long-term school refusers' would be making an immediate impact when they arrived at the school.
One of those pupils was Neil Guthrie's daughter, who made a surprise return to Manchester to stay with her father... though she's apparently anything but a teacher's pet. New kid Schuey also stirred up trouble for one staff member in particular...
Season 13 also features troubles for many of the show's already-established main pupils. Preston is struggling to readjust back to school life, and Kelly-Jo and Dean's relationship faces a new challenge.
And it's not just the pupils who have challenges in their love lives, as Andrew Treneman's return to Waterloo Road continued to impact Kim's work. And the lines between professional and personal relationships have blurred between some of the other teachers, too!
Waterloo Road season 13 episode guide
Below, we've included the brief synopses of each episode from Waterloo Road season 13, since the full series is available on iPlayer. So, if you're watching the series as it airs, don't read on, as there are spoilers ahead!
- Episode 1: Kim rolls out a fresh initiative that causes fireworks for staff and pupils alike as a number of long-term school refusers are brought back into the school community.
- Episode 2: Preston has a disastrous first day back at school and no-one can escape his line of fire, whilst Dean
- Episode 3: Shola's new obsession sends shockwaves through the school, and Libby Guthrie's surprise return turns Neil's world on its head.
- Episode 4: It's a big day for Kelly Jo as she tries to reconcile her past and future.
- Episode 5: Amy comes head-to-head with Schuey, but her actions cause uproar.
- Episode 6: Kelly Jo makes a momentous decision, and the students run riot in school.
- Episode 7: Tonya is force to take drastic action after a scandalous discovery.
- Episode 8: Donte is rocked by a ghost from his past as Kim and Nicky face a tricky decision.
Is there a Waterloo Road series 13 trailer?
A new Waterloo Road series 13 trailer arrived on Boxing Day 2023, and it hinted at some of the chaos from the new season, including one of the new pupils taking a bus from a spin and plenty more trouble!
The first trailer for Waterloo Road series 13 came at the end of season 12. It showed that the school had erected something in memory of Danny Lewis; Kim could be heard telling the other staff members that his death 'will not be in vain.'
Preston also looks to be struggling to adjust to life following his stay in hospital; Lindon's not allowing him to play for the Waterloo Wasps, and it seems like he's going to retreat from school altogether.
It also looks like Andrew Treneman hopes to sign the school up as part of his trust...which might prove complicated given he and Kim can be seen sharing a kiss in her office!
Will there be more episodes of Waterloo Road?
If you can't get enough of the series, you're in luck: Waterloo Road won't be going away anytime soon! The BBC has confirmed at least two further seasons of the hit show are on the way.
The show's fate was confirmed back in August 2023. Of the news, executive producer Cameron Roach said: "We’re beyond thrilled with the triumphant return of Waterloo Road, and so thankful to the BBC for committing to the show so fully. We love that the show has the potential not only to be a crown jewel for BBC iPlayer, but also serve as a true beacon for training, and inspiring next generation talent.
"In addition to our open auditions and full-time production trainee placements for industry newcomers, our workshops across Greater Manchester this Summer for 14-16 year olds, in partnership with BBC Young Reporter, have truly demonstrated the infectious power of this show."
A press release shared ahead of season 13's debut confirmed that filming for the new seasons was already underway, so we might not have to wait too long before we see the next set of episodes, either.
