Ackley Bridge

Nasreen prepares for an interview to study medicine at Oxford University, while Missy feels caught between supporting her friend and facing her own future without Nasreen. As part of the school’s incorporation into a larger multi-academy trust, Mandy deals with two difficult new employees: deputy head Martin and director of behavior Sue.

Kaneez and Simone wait anxiously for news about Nasreen and Missy after the car accident. Sam tries to help get revenge, but the plan unintentionally inflames racial tensions in the town and at the school. Meanwhile, Martin is tasked with mentoring the new PE teacher, who acts more like a student than an authority figure.

Rashid proposes to Kaneez, but she feels overwhelmed by all the attention. Mandy faces the issue of high absentee rates among Asian students, while grief-stricken Nasreen abandons her hopes for Oxford and gets a job at a factory.

When Nasreen and Sam are arrested for shoplifting, their families have very different reactions to the news. Sam’s mother encourages her daughter’s bad behavior, setting them on a collision course with Martin. Kaneez plans to interview for the position of student support officer but faces opposition from Sue.

Cory’s promiscuity lands him in trouble, causing a rift between him and Naveed, and Sam’s family kicks her out of the house. With her due date in two weeks, Mandy prepares to take maternity leave and hand the reins to the school over to substitute acting head Sian.

Ackley Bridge’s resident bad girl, Rukhsana, puts on a tough face at school, but at home she contends with an incapacitated mother and a domineering older brother. Cory’s friends make fun of Candice, leading Sian to reevaluate her relationship with Cory.

When rumors fly around school that Cory is having an affair with a teacher, Sian goes to Mandy for help but refuses to admit the truth. Rukhsana tries to help her friend find her long-lost father, and Ackley Bridge holds a raffle fundraiser for girls’ rugby.

Desperate to get Cory back on the right path, Mandy assigns Sue to help him. With Nasreen feeling overwhelmed after taking her exams and Naveed worrying that he won’t have enough money for drama school, the two make surprising decisions about their futures.