Pressure builds for the year 11 students as the school year draws to a close and ambitious year 10 students Darcie and Alexa go head-to-head in a race to become Head Girl. Mr Burton reflects on the challenges and successes of the academic year.

The staff deal with the arrival of 191 new Year Seven pupils, including a girl who has lost the sight in one eye, and who faces the daunting prospect of her first reading test. An excitable boy's excessive energy lands him in trouble, but Miss Nurse and Miss Healey suggest that a part in the school play might be a way to channel his enthusiasm.

Self-described 'massive nerd' Ismaeel campaigns for a place in student parliament with hopes of getting everyone to love school as much as he does. Newly qualified maths teacher Mr Geary has his work cut out handling the more challenging students and with a national shortage of teachers, the rest of the staff come together to encourage him to find the joy in the job.

GCSEs are edging closer, and students Skyler, Olivia and Falak are feeling the pressure. While Maths teacher Mrs Delaney-Hudson is determined to see her pupils succeed, headteacher Mr Burton leads a crackdown on mobile phone use. Year 11 student and prefect Falak is struggling with anxiety as the pressure to achieve high grades starts to feel overwhelming. Plus, a special guest returns to the school.

Year seven's Ismaeel, an enthusiastic ball of energy with his sights set on becoming a student representative for his year, canvasses classmates in the school playground, taking his list to school head Mr Burton who agrees to his real passion project - launching a brand-new chess club. Specialist teacher Mrs Burton is determined to help Lewis in year nine, a star student who was diagnosed with autism at the age of eight, come up with inventive ways to build his confidence - including the new chess club. Assistant Head Mrs Delaney-Hudson is determined not to give up on bright and charming year eight student Jacob who struggles to stay put in lessons.

A year 10 student who plays for a youth rugby team harbours dreams of international professional stardom, but his ambitions are in jeopardy when Mr Burton threatens to call the head coach if his attitude doesn't improve. One of his classmates struggles with anxiety, especially when she falls out with a friend and faces being dropped down a set after a low score in a science test.

The pressure of secondary school starts to get real for Year 10 Casey, who is dyslexic, a condition that has left her feeling insecure, self-conscious and different. Staff discuss how AI is affecting the school more widely and how they must adapt to this ever-changing, very modern challenge, and a primary teacher is hired to help students with low literacy.

Twelve years since the nation fell for Educating Yorkshire, Thornhill returns for a new academic year. Mr Burton's the new Head. But what's making Riley in Year 8 so disruptive?