Waterloo Road, series 16

Production

Series 16 was announced along with series 17 in August 2024. In September 2025, further details around the series was revealed, with 8 episodes commissioned for the sixteenth series, it also confirmed that Series 16 would premiere on 23 September 2025, with the full series being released on BBC iPlayer prior to transmission.

Casting

The majority of series regulars from the fifteenth series reprised their roles for this series, these included Lindsey Coulson, James Baxter, Jo Coffey, Saira Choudhry, Neil Fitzmaurice, Rachel Leskovac, Kym Marsh, Shauna Shim, and Adam Thomas, portraying Stella Drake, Joe Casey, Wendy Whitwell, Nisha Chandra, Neil Guthrie, Coral Walker, Nicky Walters, Valerie Chambers, and Donte Charles. Katherine Pearce, who played early careers teacher Amy Spratt beginning with the eleventh series, does not return in a regular role after her character resigned in the previous series, but does make a guest appearance in episode six.

In April 2025, it was confirmed that Jon Richardson would join the cast as Darius Donovan, a new media studies teacher at Waterloo Road. Jason Merrells also returns as Jack Rimmer in a series regular capacity, after a guest stint in the fifteenth series.

Returning recurring cast members include Ryan Clayton, Hollie-Jay Bowes, Kerry Howard, Lauren Patel and Tom Wells as Mike Rutherford, Debs Rafferty, Serena-Michelle Davies, Jas Sharma, and Marc Todd.

Returning Students include Scarlett Thomas, Summer Violet Bird, Liam Scholes, and Thapelo Ray as Donte's daughter Izzy Charles, Nicky's daughter Tonya Walters, Noel McManus, and Joe's former foster son Dwayne Jackson. Other students include Hattie Dynevor and Lucy Chambers as Neil's daughters Libby and Cat, Chiamaka Ulebor, Zak Sutcliffe, Maisie Robinson, Tillie Amartey, Miya Ocego, Sonya Nisa, Aabay Noor Ali, Danny Murphy and Niamh Blackshaw as Shola Aku, school troublemaker Schumacher 'Schuey' Weever, his sister Portia Weever, Stacey 'Stace' Neville, Lois Taylor-Brown, Aleena Qureshi, Mollie 'Mog' Richardson, Luca Smith, and Agnes Eccleston. Matthew Khan, who portrayed Jared Jones beginning with the fourteenth series, does not return after his character is arrested at the end of last series.

In September 2025, it was confirmed that Fintan Buckard and Savannah Kunyo had joined the cast as Ben Drake and Hope Drake, the grandchildren of headmistress Stella Drake (Lindsey Coulson) and new Students at Waterloo Road. Christine Bottomley also joined the cast as Stella Drake's (Lindsey Coulson) daughter, Sam Drake. In addition, Christopher Jeffers joined the cast as Mitch Swift, the new special educational needs coordinator of Waterloo Road. William Fox makes a guest appearance in episodes three and six as Shuey and Portia's father Pete, after last recurring in the thirteenth series, while Sia Kiwa returns as Lisa Jackson, Dwayne and Zain's mother in episode four, having last appeared in series twelve. In episode six, Denise Black guests as Noel's grandmother Mo, and Francesco Piacentini-Smith returns as former Student Dean Weever, who last appeared in series fourteen.

Scheduling

The sixteenth series debuted on 23 September 2025 on BBC One. In a difference from previous series, two episodes would air the same night as opposed to one episode weekly. The series was also released as a boxset on BBC iPlayer at 6am on 23 September 2025, as per previous series.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Lindsey Coulson as Dame Stella Drake; Headteacher

James Baxter as Joe Casey; Deputy Head and languages teacher

Ryan Clayton as Mike Rutherford; Waterloo Road's assigned police officer and Joe's husband

Jo Coffey as Wendy Whitwell; PA to Headteacher

Neil Fitzmaurice as Neil Guthrie; History teacher

Saira Jackson as Nisha Chandra; Maths teacher, Science Teacher and Acting Deputy Head

Kym Marsh as Nicky Walters; Head of Catering Services (until episode 2)

Jon Richardson as Darius Donovan; Media studies teacher

Shauna Shim as Valerie Chambers; Music teacher

Adam Thomas as Donte Charles; PE teacher

Jason Merrells as Jack Rimmer; School counsellor, later briefly also Deputy Head

Christopher Jeffers as Mitch Swift; Special educational needs coordinator (from episode 3)

Rachel Leskovac as Coral Walker; Deputy Head and English teacher (episodes 5 and 7)

Students

Scarlett Thomas as Izzy Charles

Summer Violet Bird as Tonya Walters

Thapelo Ray as Dwayne Jackson

Inathi Rozani as Zayne Jackson

Chiamaka Ulebor as Shola Aku

Hattie Dynevor as Libby Guthrie

Zak Sutcliffe as Schumacher 'Schuey' Weever

Tillie Amartey as Stacey 'Stace' Neville

Liam Scholes as Noel McManus

Maisie Robinson as Portia Weever

Aabay Noor Ali as Mollie 'Mog' Richardson

Sonya Nisa as Aleena Qureshi

Miya Ocego as Lois Taylor-Brown

Danny Murphy as Luca Smith

Lucy Chambers as Cat Guthrie

Niamh Blackshaw as Agnes Eccleston

Alfie Corbett as Forest Sumi

Teddy Wallwork as Declan Brown

Cory McClane as Ashton Stone

Bill Bekele as Tyler James

Fintan Buckard as Ben Drake

Savannah Kunyo as Hope Drake

Recurring

Hollie-Jay Bowes as Debs Rafferty; School cleaner and Nicky's sister

Lauren Patel as Jas Sharma; Early career English teacher and Nisha's daughter

Guest

Tom Wells as Marc Todd; Maths teacher

Christine Bottomley as Sam Drake; Stella Drake's daughter

Katherine Pearce as Amy Spratt; Former Waterloo Road teacher

Cassie Bradley as Nicole Chester; TV producer

Kerry Howard as Serena Michelle Davies; chief executive officer of Lowry Community Academies Trust

William Fox as Pete Weever; Schuey and Portia's father

Sia Kiwa as Lisa Jackson; Dwayne and Zain's mother

Denise Black as Mo McManus; Noel's grandmother

Francesco Piacentini-Smith as Dean Weever' Schuey and Portia's cousin and a former Waterloo Road Student