First Appearance: Series 1, Episode 1
Age: Early 30s
Occupation: English Teacher, Head of Pastoral Care
Family: Lorna Dickie (Deceased), Izzie Redpath (Fiance, Deceased), Chlo Grainger (Guardian), Mika Grainger (Guardian)
Portrayed By: Jason Done
Tom’s in his late 30s and is one of Waterloo Road’s most popular teachers. The boys like him because he doesn’t push them, the girls fancy him because he’s a good-looking male teacher – but he doesn’t take his fan club seriously. He tells himself this is education the modern way but it’s really ‘cos he doesn’t like taking a load of jotters home to mark.
Tom’s from a solid working class family with a strong belief in the importance and value of education. His family life turned very dark in his late teens when his dad’s habitually heavy drinking turned seriously alcoholic and his parents’ marriage went horribly on the rocks. Tom was always basically a sweet-natured lad, eager to please and avoid conflict – but this has also become his flaw: a willingness to compromise and postpone difficult decision-making. He’s never had a predatory attitude towards women, although Waterloo Road has provided him with plenty of opportunities for love: Lorna, Izzie, Davina and now Rose, who Tom fell for whilst helping her study for her A Level English.
With both Chlo and Mika having left for university, Tom was supposed to be a free agent now but Rose comes with kids – two of whom, Sambuca and Denzil, are students at Waterloo Road and try as he might, Tom can’t help his paternal instinct kicking in.
