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A new academy school in a Yorkshire mill town merges the lives and cultures of the largely divided white and Asian community
2018
Nas has agreed to a sham engagement to Naveed - who is also in the closet. However, reeling from the discovery of a family secret, she struggles to continue the lie and emotions run high at the family engagement dinner. Mandy is under pressure from Sadiq as both the Year 7 intake and exam results have plummeted, forcing her to instigate a strict academic regimen that causes uproar among staff and students alike.
It is the day of baby Jamie's christening, and ashamed of Cory's lack of interest, Jordan promises to pay for half. However, when the Murgatroyds splash out, Jordan can't deliver his side of the cash. Meanwhile, Mandy gets jealous over Steve when his ex Claire turns up at the school, but is it too late for their relationship?
Kaneez is still reeling from the revelation of Iqbal's secret family, and Missy is desperate for her loved ones to come to terms with her boyfriend.
Sami is riddled with guilt over his affair, so when he discovers that Jordan is working for Khadim, he seeks redemption by getting him off the streets and into boxing.
Desperate to find a girlfriend, Nas downloads a dating app. Steve invites a rugby scout to watch Cory play, but tensions escalate as the pressure becomes too much.
Missy is totally freaked out when Aaron confesses his love for her, while Hayley is humiliated by a message stream that circulates around the school about her sexual relationship with Riz.
Nas finally meets a girl who knocks her socks off, but their families and backgrounds put them completely at odds. Meanwhile, Missy and Hayley are heartbroken when Simone relapses.
Mandy's abusive dad turns up at the school suffering from dementia. She returns to the estate where she grew up to find that her mum can't cope with the situation.
Cory is humiliated when he has to visit a food bank. Nas gets caught in a crossfire between Sam and Razia. Javid hatches a plan to take over the school.
Desperate to make it as a stand-up comic, Naveed's plans are derailed when his Mum discovers his arranged marriage to Nas was a cover - and that he's gay.
With the GCSE exams looming, Missy loses her bottle and quits school in favour of starting a family with Aaron. Emma recruits Will in her plan to sabotage Chloe's relationship.
Jordan fears he hasn't done enough revision to get into the college that he wants to go to, and Mandy is offered a lifeline that forces her to question her loyalty to Sadiq.
2019
Nas secures an interview for a place at Oxford University, while Mandy is overwhelmed when her new boss dumps a load of unmanageable kids from his other schools on her. New hot-headed Deputy Head Martin locks horns with Sam Murgatroyd's mum - fresh from prison - and bad girl Rukhsana runs rings around Sue, the disenchanted and distinctly un-PC new Director of Behaviour.
Kaneez and Simone anxiously wait for news on Nas and Missy. Sam recruits her cousins to seek revenge, and as the reaction rapidly escalates, a chasm opens between Ackley Bridge's white and Asian communities, with the school at the centre of the tensions. Mandy and her staff are reeling when behaviour spirals out of control. Martin is tasked with mentoring cocky new PE teacher Hassan, who's more interested in being liked by the pupils than being an authority figure. Mandy also tries to tempt Emma back to Ackley Bridge.
Kaneez is stunned when Rashid proposes, but when wedding fever takes hold of the Paracha house it gets too much for her and she back-tracks - leaving Rashid confused and humiliated. Still keen to unite the two communities of Ackley Bridge, Mandy has written an article for a right-wing local newspaper, and later teams up with Kaneez to go into the community and convince Asian parents to support her school. Naveed has a party while his parents are away, but he isn't pleased when Chloe uses it as an opportunity to pull Cory.
Sam and Nas are caught shoplifting, which causes a rift between them, but Sam's mum pushes her to get more involved with the Murgatroyds' criminal activities.
Cory is kicked out after being caught with his dad's girlfriend. Hoping for sympathy, Cory is stunned when Naveed is appalled. Mandy gives birth and feels overwhelmed.
Rukhsana gets revenge on her controlling brother, but it does her little good when he walks out on her, leaving her to face a visit from the debt collectors alone.
Mandy's visit to school doesn't go well when she discovers a rumour going around that Cory is the father of her baby, and Nas is horrified when Chloe outs her at a school fundraiser.
Nas struggles with the pressure of her A-levels, and horrifies Kaneez and Rashid by considering giving up on everything she has worked for.
2021
New boy Johnny ruffles feathers throughout the school. Martin experiences a baptism of fire as acting head teacher.
The Romany Gypsies are wrongly blamed for robbing the school and an offended Johnny walks out. Kayla inadvertently enters into a pact.
Fizza goes off the rails when her mother protests against sex education at the school. Kayla and Johnny get closer.
Tahir's tall stories catch up with him when his plan to help Sam backfires. Kayla keeps a secret from Fizza. Martin learns that Johnny has a talent.
Sparks fly between Fizza and Kayla when the truth comes out about the deleted text. Tahir grabs an opportunity at the talent show. Zainab reveals her true agenda to Kaneez.
Kayla's world implodes when she hears where Fizza was on Friday. Johnny tries to cheer Kayla up on the school trip, but he gets some news of his own.
Johnny takes part in a boxing match to pay off a debt, while Martin tries to persuade him not to leave school. And can Kayla work out where she stands?
Fizza learns the shocking truth about her mum's attack. Martin enlists the help of 'Jane' from the dating app to stop the sale of the school field.
Tahir's world is turned upside down. Fizza and Kayla confront Johnny, but the backlash causes a rift between the girls, and Johnny is torn.
It's the day before the wedding. Jules worries about Kayla, while Fizza tries to make amends, and Johnny's determined to do the right thing.
2017
It's the first day at the newly integrated school, and best friends and neighbours Missy and Nas are now attending the same school for the very first time. Nas's more conservative school friends take against Missy. Nas sides with her school friends and Missy, fuelled by anger, decides to play dangerous liaisons. Meanwhile English teacher Emma Keane gets a shock when she finds out that she'll be working with her ex-boyfriend Samir.
Jordan finds himself in charge of a baby that he has to sneak into school. It's harder to conceal than he anticipated, and he blackmails PE teacher Steve into helping him out. Unable to return it to its mother a stumped Steve ends up taking Jordan and the baby back to his house which causes further issues to his already strained marriage to Mandy, leading her to fall into the ready arms of her boss, Sadiq.
Missy convinces Nas to make a play for her teacher, Lila, but Nas is served a curveball when her dad announces that he has other plans for her. Confused and emotional, Nas appeals to Lila for help, but Lila draws a line under their friendship. Missy resolves to show her that there are plenty more fish in the sea, though Nas does not take to Missy's expedition to a gay bar and leaves alone early. Meanwhile, a guilt-stricken Mandy ends things with Sadiq and throws herself back into her marriage, and Emma discovers that Samir is engaged.
Missy suffers a traumatic discovery regarding Nana Booth, and fearing that social services will take Hayley into care, she keeps everything secret until forced to ask Emma for money. Meanwhile, Nas is left feeling heartbroken when her relationship with Lila starts to hit rocky ground, and Kaneez realises she has to alert Mandy about the Booth girls when she gets caught in a fight between Simone and Missy.
Kaneez is furious to discover that Nas is considering the arranged marriage, but Nas brings her round. However, the pressure of planning the wedding and her web of lies leads Nas to break down to her mum and confess that she is gay. Meanwhile, while focusing on helping Missy get Hayley back and straighten out Simone, Emma neglects Chloe on her birthday, sending Chloe off the rails while Steve battles with Mandy's indiscretion - do they have a future?
Mandy's professional life collides with her personal life when Alya outs her and Sadiq's affair at the school's first Open Day. As Mandy fights for her job, but chooses to put her pupils before her career, Steve comes to her rescue - but will it be enough to repair their relationship? Meanwhile, Candice reveals the true identity of Jamie's father, leading Jordan to spiral. Feeling neglected by Emma, Chloe gets caught up in Jordan's plans to leave Ackley Bridge, only for them to fall foul of the police.
2022
A new teacher joins the school, with outspoken views that capture the hearts of Fizza and Hassan. Marina's efforts to boost her standing on social media cause outrage among the parents and puts Martin in a very difficult position.
Kayla is sent into a spiral of anxiety as she contemplates having sex with Johnny, and receives some devastating news as a consequence of Jules' new job. Kaneez is given the task of heading up the Year 11 sex education classes, while Asma is unwillingly partnered with Hassan to revive the girls' rugby team.
Sunetra Sarker
Kaneez Paracha
Laila Zaidi
Asma Farooqi
Tony Jayawardena
Rashid Hyatt
Robert James-Collier
Martin Evershed
Charlie Hardwick
Sue Carp
Phoebe Tuffs-Berry
Rukhsana Ibrahim
Zara Salim
Kacey "Spud" Gartside
Johnny spirals down a dangerous path to try to make Kayla stay in Ackley. Martin risks all to help get Johnny out of trouble. Marina's brother Kyle lands at school, causing chaos for Kaneez and persuading Marina to stay with him on the estate.
Pressure mounts for Fizza as she is made captain of the debate team in an upcoming competition against St Marks. Struggling to balance school with managing her father's deteriorating mental health, she finds herself unexpectedly bonding with debate partner Chloe. Meanwhile, Asma and Hassan have a tense exchange at Muslim speed dating.
Kaneez is caught up in a puppy heist while trying to manage tearaway Kyle and study for her GCSEs. Fizza seeks Asma's help but makes a shock discovery.
Asma appeals to Fizza, desperate to keep her alcoholism a secret, but her problems only get worse. Marina intervenes in Fizza and Chloe's romance.
On the day of the girls' rugby tournament. Marina tries to bottle it after facing online abuse from the St Marks captain, but still manages to catch the eye of a boy in the crowd. At an afterparty, the pair get close, but things take a disturbing turn when he starts to push things too far. Meanwhile, Asma and Hassan go on their first date.
With the support of Fizza, Hayley and Chloe, Marina finds the strength and courage to understand her sexual assault. Everything comes to a head when St Marks arrive back at Ackley for the boys' rugby match.
On exam day, Fizza receives a distressing call from Asif that makes her drop everything. Meanwhile, Kyle steals an exam paper for Kaneez, and Asma finally realises that she needs to get professional help.
On the the day of the leavers ball, Johnny decides to quit his audition after having a crisis of confidence - though Rashid is determined to change his mind. Fizza struggles to cope after her father is hospitalised, while Martin's head is on the block at the school governors' meeting, but Marina has a plan to help.
Hareet Deol
Hassan Hussein
Robyn Cara
Kayla Azfal
Yasmin Al-Khudhairi
Fizza Akhtar
