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 Nadine is proud of her and pushes Sam to get more involved with the Murgatroyds' criminal activities. Martin puts his family in danger when he tries to intervene and save Sam. Meanwhile, Nas considers her future in the wake of recent events, and Sue's nose is put out of joint when Mandy favours Kaneez for a job in her department - and the Parachas and Booths are intent on her getting it.

Cory is kicked out after being caught with his dad's girlfriend. Hoping for sympathy, he is amazed when Naveed is appalled. The friends fall out, leading Nas to take Naveed on a night out with a difference. He meets a guy who proves to be the perfect distraction from Cory. It's Mandy's maternity cover, Sian who scoops up Cory, but he oversteps the mark when he kisses her. Later, when Mandy gives birth, she feels overwhelmed and underprepared for motherhood, but luckily she has help from Kaneez.

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. The family crisis presents Kaneez with her first real challenge as student support officer, and she strives to reunite the siblings. Candice attacks Dan, which leads Sian to exclude her - but Mandy steps in to reveal that he had played a cruel sexual prank on her, and that Cory was also involved. Nas wants to patch things up with Sam.

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.

The year 13 pupils look ahead to a future after leaving school. Nas struggles with the pressure of her A-levels, and horrifies Kaneez and Rashid by considering giving up on everything she has worked for. Mandy and Martin force Sue ti help Cory get his life back on track, and Sadiq and Alya adjust to having a new member of the family.