The Teacher

A teacher is accused of having slept with a student, but she can't remember anything about it as she was drunk at the time.

Jenna's life falls apart as she is formally charged with having sex with a minor. The press gets hold of her story and lets rip with salacious stories. She loses her job, her friends fall away and Jenna's self-esteem shrinks further as she's forced to stay with her cold, critical father.

After receiving a suspended sentence, Jenna stops drinking and starts to reassess her life.

Jenna suspects she has an enemy, and a confrontation with this man uncovers the twisted truth behind Kyle's lie. But the whole sordid incident has only served to help Jenna face her demons, and she comes away stronger and victorious.

Dani Oxley, a passionate art teacher, stands by a school bus checking off students' names as they board. She greets fellow teacher Jimmy, and his boisterous son Matt. Dani has a stilted goodbye with her detached husband Tim. She goes to the art room to find Sienna, a troubled but talented student, drawing. Dani, Sienna and lastly Zac board the bus and they travel to the Mallory Adventure Centre.Tensions rise between Matt and Zac, which unsettles Dani, but she's preoccupied. A spark between her and Jimmy on the first night leads to a passionate kiss. The next morning as she readies the students for team building exercises, she tries to ignore Jimmy's advances. But in a moment of weakness, she leaves her students unattended and meets Jimmy in the boathouse where they have sex.Upon her return she finds the students scattered around. She does a head count but is missing one student - Zac. Panic sets in as Dani, Jimmy and another teacher, Bel, search for Zac. Shock and fear permeate the group as DI Calgetti records their statements and Dani is forced to lie about where she was. Sienna is distraught, while Matt challenges Dani's whereabouts during the exercise.

Dani exits the school and flees. Tim visits Nina's house to find the headmaster, Mr Caulfield there. At home, Dani waits for Tim to return. He is disgusted with her. DI Calgetti grills Dani about the photograph. Dani returns home to a note from Tim stating that he wants her gone.At the school, a suspended Dani gathers her artwork as Sienna tries to offer some comfort. They discuss their shared experience of foster care. Caulfield and Bel stand by as Dani leaves.Bel asks a nervous Sienna to speak at the vigil for Zac that night. Tim is confronted by Dani about the texts, but he shrugs off her questions and leaves. An uneasy Dani opens the door to DI Calgetti who now requests to search the house. She calls in to Sienna at her foster centre where Sienna is sick with anxiety. Dani watches from outside as the vigil ends.

Dani wakes up to Stan having a nightmare, while Tim sits in a holding cell at the police station. Jimmy tries to smooth tension with Matt. Dani questions Chloe further but reaches a dead end. At the park, Dani finds Sienna hiding out and they discuss their shared grief.Returning home on bail, and unable to ignore their issues, Tim discusses their deteriorating marriage with Dani. Catatonic, Tim voices his fears of going to prison as Dani resolves to clear his name.Caulfield and Jimmy witness Matt in a fight with another pupil. Jimmy sends a seething Matt to his room. Dani seeks out Nina and asks about the nature of Zac's friendship with Sienna and learns that Zac was gay. Dani calls Sienna, who finally agrees to tell her everything.Matt angrily packs a bag, intending to stay with his mum, but Jimmy stops him. Matt struggles to process his grief as Jimmy asks if Zac had a knife. Matt denies any knowledge of it.Tim and Dani argue about how Tim's overbearing nature drove Dani into Jimmy's arms. Jimmy challenges Matt about Zac's knife, but Matt baulks and runs off. Tim shows up at a teacher's drinks, then staggers off into the night. Having left to diffuse the situation in the pub, Dani can't reach Sienna.

Tim rouses, hungover and bruised to Dani's distress. Jimmy calls Dani asking for help as Matt has run away after an argument. Chloe shows Dani an unsettling text Zac sent her about Sienna. Dani and Jimmy track down a volatile Matt. Jimmy expresses his love for his son and his belief that Matt didn't kill Sienna. Dani questions Matt about Sienna.At school, Nina puts pressure on Caulfield about Sienna's death, Bel observes Caulfield closely as pressure mounts on him. Dani and Tim's marriage reaches a turning point as Dani admits she can't stay with Tim and it's better if they separate.Dani finds herself at Jimmy's front door. As she falls asleep in his room, a distinctive ceiling rose catches her eye. Waking up, Dani has a sudden realisation - she quickly leaves Jimmy's house and runs to the school, sparking his suspicions.

Experienced teacher Helen Simpson believes it is her duty to prepare students for the realities of life, often disregarding trigger warnings and safe spaces and has little concern for the woke ideologies of the younger generation. She clashes with influential female student Cressida Bancroft after accusing the pupil of attention-seeking and using her ideologies to gain popularity, and the fight between the pair soon escalates. 

As Helen grapples with learning about Dee's suicide, she finds herself trapped in a pressure cooker, as she keeps the secret of what transpired in the detention room. Headmaster Simon Cookson convenes a meeting to establish a support network for the students, but Helen is consumed by guilt and remains silent.

The morning after the memorial, Helen faces an onslaught of online media abuse aimed at her dismissal. She discovers her house has been graffitied with 'Terf Bitch' and loses her friendship with Tessa - the only teacher willing to accept her faults. Helen sees Blake taking her position among the students and suspects something has happened between him and Leo.

Principal Cookson informs Helen that her position has become untenable - a student tragically died because Helen crossed a line. Helen worries that Sam has been taken against his will, but O'Brien struggles to trust her story due to her previous unreliability. Cressida lures Sam further into her dark web, exposing self-harm scars, while Helen and Tessa frantically search Cressida's dorm room for clues about Sam's whereabouts. In a final desperate bid to save her son, Helen races into the Peak District. However, Cressida has shadowed Sam in her darkness, making it a fight for Helen to bring him back.