Within weeks of leaving school Katie Griffiths found herself back in the classroom - starring in the new series of BBC1 drama Waterloo Road.

Katie, of Kildwick, plays a troubled schoolgirl in the new 12-part series, set in a struggling comprehensive.

Katie plays Chlo, the feisty teenage daughter of a teacher played by Jill Halfpenny. In the first series Chlo was involved in a strong ongoing storyline about an under-age driving accident.

"It was my first TV drama so being involved in such a big story was great," said Katie, 18. "It was intense but I learned loads, like being aware of camera angles and close-ups.

"In this series Chlo and her boyfriend Donte's relationship develops but our storylines aren't as heavy. Chlo is obsessed with Donte. He's two years older and a big name around school. He likes to act like the tough guy but he cares for her.

"Chlo's great to play, she has attitude and comes across as tough and confident but she's also emotional and vulnerable. She can be moody but that's because she's a teenager.

"She was affected by her parents' divorce and now she and her sister are living with a new stepdad."

In the new series a wealthy businessman promises to inject cash into the school as the new term begins - in return for a list of changes and a seat on the governing body.

Katie said filming in a real school gives the show authenticity. "Certain aspects of the school are realistic, such as the building and classrooms. I think a lot of the storylines are relevant to a school but they're blown out of proportion to make the audience understand the issues more."

Katie, a pupil at Stage 84 in Idle, juggled her filming schedule with rehearsals for the theatre school's production of The Wizard of Oz which she starred in at the Alhambra last autumn.

She said: "I played Dorothy so I had lots of rehearsals. I got picked up at 5am to travel to the Waterloo Road set in Rochdale. I was on set all day then rushing to Wizard of Oz rehearsals in the evenings! It was hectic but I enjoyed both productions."

The Waterloo Road cast includes Jason Merrells, Denise Welch and Angela Griffin. "They were all friendly and helpful, there was a great atmosphere," said Katie.

A former pupil at South Craven School in Cross Hills, Katie did her schoolwork on the set of the first Waterloo Road series in 2005, but she left school before filming for the new series began. "My plan is to go to drama school," she said.

  • The series of Waterloo Road starts on Thursday, January 18, on BBC1 at 8pm.

e-mail: emma.clayton@bradford.newsquest.co.uk