Episode 1

Educating returns, at Willows High School in Cardiff. The first episode introduces Head Teacher Joy Ballard, her stellar team of staff and some dynamic students. When Joy came to the school four years ago it was one of the worst performing in Cardiff. Under her leadership the school has made a huge turnaround. Joy has brought a house system to the school, with four houses competing against each other and giving the children a sense of home and pride. Mr Hennessy is Head of House for Denbigh, overseeing 120 students. He has taught Maths at Willows for six years, and strikes fear in pupils. But teaching isn't always plain sailing, especially teaching Year 11 girls, including Leah, who has one of the worst attendance records in school. One of Mr Hennessy's responsibilities is to make sure his pupils are there on time, even if that means ringing Leah every morning to make sure she's en route . Leah is an aspiring actress hoping to study drama at college, and finds that it's the perfect opportunity to be someone else, even if just for an hour. If she passes her GCSEs she'll be the highest achieving member of her family. But she has a tough exterior and doesn't like asking for help. Can Mr Hennessy crack her tough persona, or will his phone calls and encouragement fall by the wayside? Jess is one of the hardest workers in the school, and has a 100% attendance record. She's hugely focused but struggles to understand why other pupils are silly in class. She's mystified by the social aspect of school. What does it mean to be popular? And how do other pupils become popular? Mrs Ballard wants to start a new school newspaper with Jess at the helm; will this teach her valuable skills in interacting with her peers? And could younger pupil Benjy teach her a thing or two about feigning confidence? Whichever end of the social spectrum you come from, being a teenage girl is hard. It's up to the staff at Willows to ensure they stay on track and try to put aside their self-doubt before leaving school at the end of the academic year.