Educating Greater Manchester - Season 1

In this first episode, the pupils at Harrop Fold are comparing Trump's hairstyle with Hitler's, writing rude words on the back of a delivery van, and adjusting to an influx of students from a range of foreign countries. Rani, who's 11, is originally from Syria. He joined Harrop Fold a few months ago after fleeing his war-torn home with his family. Jack is also in Year 7. He's old before his time and full of northern charm. A new friendship flourishes between Rani and Jack, and they both claim it will last forever. And the school also has to respond to the shockwaves of the terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert, which eight of the pupils and one teacher attended.

This time, teenage angst is laid bare as Educating focusses on Harrop Fold School's student development team. Their job is to handle every imaginable problem a teenager can throw at them, and they do it with unending patience. From puberty to teenage pregnancy, mysterious rashes to appalling attendance, this week we'll meet the team who deal with all of this and teenagers who create it. One of the team's more challenging students is Year 8 Katelyn. Aged 12 going on 20 and full of hormones, Katelyn struggles to contain her emotions and risks her future at Harrop Fold by constantly flying off the handle. We'll also meet 15-year-old Mia, who is seven months pregnant and just a few months away from her GCSE exams. Determined for Mia to take a different path to the one she did, Mum Nicola wants Mia to prove everyone wrong and get the grades to attend college after the baby is born.

This week, Headteacher Mr Drew Povey and his two deputies have their work cut out as Year 11 mocks season begins at Harrop Fold School. We'll see tears, tantrums and refusals to even sit the exams, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to the staff when the results are in and they aren't good. With only a few months until the real GCSEs - and in a climate of budget cuts, a new exam system, and with one of the toughest year groups they've ever had - Mr Povey is having sleepless nights and Mrs Benigno is doing all she can to turn things around. The school throw everything they have at the problem; putting on extra lessons, calling a special parents' evening and trying to inspire confidence in their students. When the results are in come August, we'll see if the school has done enough to turn things around.

This episode focuses on Harrop Fold School's behaviour team: dynamic duo Mr Chambers and Mr Ben Povey, who's head teacher Drew's younger brother. Cheeky 12-year-old Kayden is well known to the behaviour team and repeated misdemeanours mean Mr Chambers is close to losing his patience with him. Meanwhile, Kayden's long-suffering older sister, Year 11 Shannon, is trying to concentrate on her GCSEs rather than her little brother's antics. Head teacher Mr Drew Povey decides to try a leftfield tactic with 14-year-old Vincent - another boy who's often on the team's books - and puts him on a trial period to join the straight-laced Student Council. And 15-year-old Kim becomes unteachable when her older brother is involved in a serious crime in the community.

There's election fever as the search for Harrop Fold school's first ever Head Girl and Head Boy begins. And an unexpected candidate throws his hat into the ring at the last minute.

The teachers at Harrop Fold grapple with the fun and the friction that social media brings to the school. They struggle to contain a Snapchat revolution when an anonymous school-wide message encourages students to break the rules by coming in in trainers. Meanwhile, head teacher Mr Drew Povey has to try and negotiate peace between Year 11 girls Serena and Lelo when Lelo is accused of breaking the 'girlcode' by talking to a boy on FaceTime. Social media fan Deputy Head Mr Ross Povey tries to motivate 16-year-old Tom, who's studying for his GCSEs, after anxiety problems lead his attendance to drop to an all-time low. And can Miss Bland come to the rescue when 11-year-old Caprice refuses to come to school after being called names on social media? It's also time for The H Factor, Harrop's all singing, all dancing talent competition; will anxious Tom pluck up the courage to perform alongside teacher brothers Ross and Ben Povey?

This episode focuses on Harrop Fold's newest arrivals and youngest students - the Year 7s - and their characterful Head of Year, no-nonsense Miss Bland. Arriving at school at the same time as the Year 7s is new teacher Mr Humphreys, who's 25. With just a year's teaching experience, at an all-girls' school, Mr Humphreys came to Harrop looking for a challenge but gets more than he bargained for when he becomes 11-year-old Tiger and 12-year-old Billy's form tutor. Best friends Tiger and Billy are messing around in lessons, bringing handcuffs into school and getting into all sorts of mischief. And on Valentine's Day love is in the air for 11-year-olds Lily and Jacob. They used to be boyfriend and girlfriend but since Lily called it off they've been calling each other names and falling out in lessons, leaving Miss Bland to pick up the pieces. But Jacob still has feelings for Lily. Can he win her back with a grand gesture?

Headteacher Drew Povey has his work cut out when the results of the mock exams prove disappointing. With only a few months until the real GCSEs, he and his two deputies throw everything they can at the problem, putting on extra lessons, calling a special parents' evening and trying to inspire confidence in the students. But will it be enough when the results are announced in August? All the while, Mr Povey's background in behaviour management is put to the test dealing with a Year 8 student who has had a dangerous fight in the corridor.