It's the senior prom at Waterloo Road, and Darius is closer than ever to landing the top job. But as Nisha begins to see him in a new light, she grows uneasy about what he may have done to get there. Meanwhile, Freddie's surprise for Luca backfires, Ashton and Shola's plans are shaken by a familiar return, and Stace's big day descends into chaos when her bridesmaids choose the prom over her wedding. 

With Stella away, Darius takes charge. But the return of a familiar face stirs old tensions. A shocking revelation forces Stella to see everything in a new light. Meanwhile, Cat tries to support Portia but ends up making things worse, and Donte turns to his peers as he struggles to handle a disruptive Forest. Elsewhere, new mum Coral returns from maternity leave and immediately locks horns with Steph Haydock – they're opposites in every way and neither one is backing down. 

As Tonya struggles with the aftermath, Nicky struggles with her confidence, leading to disastrous results. Whilst Darius's desperation sees him take big steps to protect his secret, Agnes puts her relationship in jeopardy as she betrays Schuey's trust. 

Nicky's instincts are telling her that something is wrong with Tony, but can she figure out what's really going on and help Portia? Agnes spirals as Schuey pushes her too far, and she seeks solace in a surprising and dangerous place. Whilst the kids kick off over the lack of heating, Darius uses the situation to throw Stella off his scent. Nisha lends a supportive ear to Stace, who is struggling with the reality of being a young mum.

Shola notices an unexpected change in Portia and suspects she has a new crush. Meanwhile, a surprise inspection sees Darius bend the rules to keep ahead of the inspectors. As Stace struggles with the demands of motherhood, Noel does his best to prove his dedication and put a smile back on her face. Lovesick Freddie gushes over his new online boyfriend, but are they really who they say they are? 

Donte falls victim to Izzy's rage as she struggles to keep her emotions in check, whilst Nicky returns to take on a new challenge as behavioural lead. Can she make a breakthrough with a troublesome Leoni? Agnes is at odds when Schuey encourages her to confront the past head-on, but is Leoni really as guilty as Agnes claims she is? Elsewhere, Darius's latest money-making scheme causes chaos when he brings a sniffer dog into school. How much longer can he run away from his debt problems? 

Portia is left mortified by a new romance turning sour but finds an unexpected ally in a rebellious supply teacher, Steph Haydock, who schools Ben on the error of his ways when STIs spread amongst the students. However, their unconventional methods attract the ire of Stella and threaten their careers. 

Elsewhere, Cat has second thoughts on her budding relationship with mean girl Izzy when the claws come out, while Stace is rocked by a revelation from social services.

Chaos reigns when Darius welcomes excluded students to the school, and he has to firefight to keep his second chances scheme alive. Agnes has a surprising connection with one of the newcomers that leaves her fearing her happy life is about to be destroyed. Meanwhile, Portia strives to build her beauty empire but is left sidelined when the spotlight falls elsewhere, while Donte clashes with Izzy over her attitude.