Waterloo Road will return to screens early next month, it has been confirmed.

The BBC drama's ninth series is to premiere on Thursday, September 5 at 8pm on BBC One.



Abby Mavers promotes Waterloo Road's return
© Twitter / @WaterlooRoad

Regular viewers know that series eight concluded in dramatic fashion in July when original character Tom Clarkson was killed off following Jason Done's decision to quit the role.

As the new run of episodes begins, the school is still in mourning for Tom - especially Kacey Barry (Brogan Ellis), who is struggling to cope without her teacher and mentor.

New faces at Waterloo Road will include teenage twins Lenny and Lisa Brown (Joe Slater and Caitlin Gillespie) and recently-qualified science teacher Sue Spark (Vanessa Hehir).

Lenny and Lisa immediately feature in a storyline with Audrey McFall (Georgie Glen) as she suspects they are being neglected at home, while Sue finds the reality of teaching much harder than she expected.

Elsewhere, fans will also be interested to see how Christine Mulgrew (Laurie Brett) is settling into her new role as head teacher, while deputy head Simon Lowsley (Richard Mylan) hides a secret which could affect his career and unsettle the staff.