CLASS act

LINDSEY COULSON on taking charge of Waterloo Road

-  VICTORIA WILSON

WATERLOO ROAD TUESDAY, 9PM, BBC1 DRAMA (BOX SET, BBC iPLAYER)

Lindsey Coulson is looking forward to shaking up BBC1’s Waterloo Road when she makes her much-anticipated debut this week as the school-set saga’s latest head teacher: formidable former Ofsted official Dame Stella Drake.

‘Stella appealed to me because I’m very bossy and opinionated!’ smiles the ex-EastEnders star, 64, in an exclusive chat with TV Times. ‘Stella didn’t expect to come back into a mainstream school. For 15 years, she’s been working at Ofsted but was fired for being too outspoken. This job at Waterloo Road is a last chance saloon.’

Stella’s certainly going to have her work out, though. The secondary school’s reputation is currently in tatters following the dramatic downfall of previous head teacher Steve Savage (Jason Manford), after he was arrested for helping his son Billy (Olly Rhodes) cover up the death of pupil Boz Osbourne (Nathan Wood).

Here, Lindsey shares her report on what we can expect from the 15th, eight-part series…

We’re told Stella has an uncompromising work ethic and a strong moral compass. What’s her approach to leadership and teaching?

Stella’s passionate about education but she’s pretty oldschool. She’s from the generation where children were ‘seen and not heard’ and, in terms of leadership, being fair, strict and having clear boundaries is her policy. Stella has this hard exterior but also a glint in her eye because she cares about people and wants them to succeed.