Waterloo Road: Yorkshire actors Angela Griffin and Rachel Leskovac on the reboot of the BBC drama

Kim Campbell’s challenges as headteacher will no doubt strike a chord with school leaders up and down the country, but her headship is at a fictional site – Waterloo Road. In the new reboot of the show, which returned to BBC One and BBC iPlayer last week, Leeds actress Angela Griffin reprises her role as Kim, who is now head of the titular comprehensive school, a new position from when she last appeared as head of pastoral.

Griffin, who is known for portraying roles including Fiona Middleton in the ITV’s Coronation Street and DS Lizzie Maddox in the final two series of ITV's detective drama series Lewis, says: “The reason why she has progressed up the management ladder is something quite huge. A very big life event, trauma, has occurred since we last saw Kim, and that trauma has caused her to want to shut off her emotions more and try not to get as invested in people and other people's lives."

Bradford-born Rachel Leskovac, known for her roles in Coronation Street, Holby City and Hollyoaks is among those who have joined the Waterloo Road cast for the first time. She plays teacher Coral Walker, a trusted, if not particularly well-liked member of staff.

Head of English at the school, she looks out for the pupils-but on her own terms; she’s not particularly maternal or empathetic and tends to strategise in order to solve problems. Plus she’s a stickler for the rule book, expecting other staff to uphold rules and discipline as firmly as she does, which can often cause conflict.

"Sometimes it feels very awkward being in her skin which is challenging,” Leskovac says. “Coral Walker is a complex character who may come across quite stern but ultimately she’s very passionate about her job and wants the best for her students. In terms of her teaching style, I would say she's more old school and is less about how students are feeling and their emotions. She just wants to get the work done so that kind of lends itself to someone being a bit strict, someone who wants people to do the right thing, doesn't want any messing around, so she's quite controlling in some ways.”

The original run of Waterloo Road began in 2006 and lasted for nine years, with 200 episodes. Griffin says the difference between children going to school now and when the show first aired is “vast”. Social media has changed everything, she says.

“There are some amazing things. The access to help, to advice, to people. You know someone struggling with who they are, you can go online and find people just like you and that can be less isolating for some kids. There are positives. I'm not just gonna slag it off and say it's awful.

"But what it also does is, for example, kids have always been bullied. People go to school, some kids get bullied, some people don’t. The bullying ended when you got through the front door, you know some people might’ve even got chased home from school. You get into your front door and it is gone, so you get 12 hours of peace. It doesn't end there anymore.

“Now, that bullying and intimidation intensifies once someone's gone into their front door. They’re upstairs in their bedroom and they’ve got their phone there and people can still get to them. I think that is horrific.”

Waterloo Road, set and made in Greater Manchester, follows life at a comprehensive school with parents and teachers learning to navigate the ever-changing social landscape, with topics such as racism, sexism and LGBTQ+ to be discussed.

The reboot is part of the BBC’s commitment to make more programmes across the UK to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country.

Griffin’s co-star Katie Griffiths has talked about how the show will discuss the daily struggles people are facing in Britain. She is one of a number of familiar faces who are reprising their roles, with Griffiths returning as Chlo Grainger and Adam Thomas as her teenage sweetheart Donte Charles.

Appearing on the BBC’s The One Show last week, Griffiths said: “We’re coming back with a classic Waterloo Road big bang, there’s going to be lots of topics discussed. There’s mental health discussed, there’s child homelessness, cost-of-living crisis, all of these terrible struggles that people are facing on a daily basis.”

Thomas said the show’s willingness to delve into these real-life issues which people can relate to is why he feels people love it.

Reflecting on the factors that made her want to return, Griffin says: “Cameron Roach, the exec producer, talked me through what he wanted to achieve with making a new series and it wasn't just about making an entertaining show on screen. It was also about creating a workplace that was massively inclusive for every kind of person, but really focusing on finding people from the North who don't have connections with the business.

"People who are from working class backgrounds, who you wouldn't normally find in the industry and inviting them in and training them up. Giving opportunities where opportunities are very, very, very, very scarce.

"I'm very aware of the fact that I was lucky to get into acting, it wasn't what I was supposed to do.  Where I came from, this wasn't where we're supposed to end up. And I am really passionate about finding other actors who, like me, might not have the leg up that some people in the industry do, and Cameron matched my passion in that area.”

Waterloo Road is on BBC One on Tuesdays and can also be viewed on iPlayer.