Karen Fisher was Waterloo Road's second on-screen female headteacher. When she arrived in Series 6 following the resignation of Rachel Mason in the previous series, she brought with her a cheating husband, Charlie Fisher, a rebellious daughter, Jess Fisher, and a bulimic son, Harry Fisher. Karen is also later joined by her missing daughter, Bex Fisher. Karen's top priority is encouraging well-rounded and socialised pupils, and to achieve this she wants to create a safe and positive school environment where kids can leave their trouble behind and concentrate on their schooling, but alongside this Karen's not afraid to discipline pupils who step out of line and her tough love policy means that exclusion is back on the table. She will do everything in her power to help a child, but won't tolerate her pupils using their personal lives as an excuse to disruptive behaviour. Staff and pupils are divided over Karen's policy, and Waterloo Road will teach Karen a thing or two about patience and tolerance before the term is out.
Karen was determined to rule by example and kept her work and home life separate, but hid a tragic past which she and her family were struggling to come to terms with, this will tested her ethos over the course of Series 6.
Her son Harry (Year 11) and daughter Jess (Year 12) frequently made this difficult. Karen was consumed by guilt - her eldest daughter Bex had been missing for over a year and Karen's obsession with tracking Bex down meant that she failed to notice that Jess was veering off the rails or that Harry developed bulimia. Even after Bex returned home (bringing her sordid past with her) Karen's total maternal focus was still on her eldest daughter - it wasn't until Bex finally re-settled back at Waterloo Road that Karen was able to relax a little. But with Bex off studying at University, Karen was able to focus more attention on her two youngest children. As a result the three of them grew closer. As Karen's chaotic home life divided her loyalties, we saw her place the needs of her family above those of her career. As a result, this contributed to Karen eventually being fired from the school due to poor management. She was replaced in Series 7 Episode 11 by 'Super Head' Michael Byrne.
Series 6
This series saw Karen split from her husband Charlie, as Harry found out that he was having an affair with another woman, Maria Lucas. Karen also found out that her daughter Jess was veering off the rails, by sleeping around with older men. Karen and Jess had a strained relationship and rarely spoke. Jess publishes an article in the school newspaper telling the whole school about Bex Fisher, with Jess claiming that it was all Karen's fault. The two of them later reconcile and improve their relationship. Karen's son Harry also has bulimia and is badly bullied which is revealed in Series 6 Episode 7 when Harry nearly drowns during a swimming lesson. Charlie tells Karen he will end his affair but Karen tells him not to, stating that she knew their marriage was over.
In Series 6 Episode 10 Karen is reunited with her daughter, Bex. Her ex-husband Charlie also leaves with his girlfriend as she had a new job in London.
In Series 6 Episode 11 following the return of her daughter Bex, Karen introduces a segregated scheme at the school which put boys and girls in separate classes. Adanna Lawal is against the scheme but Chris and Karen are adamant it is a good idea.
In Series 6 Episode 16 the reason why Bex ran away is revealed as her sex tape is spread around the school by Wayne Bodley. Bex later leaves with Dylan Hodge in order to save her sister leaving Karen once again devastated. In Series 6 Episode 17 Hodge is finally arrested and Bex is finally free. In Series 6 Episode 19 Karen deals with the fallout of Francesca Montoya's affair with Jonah Kirby.
In Series 6 Episode 20 Karen is thrilled that Bex is going to university. Despite having to deal with Finn Sharkey falling off a bridge and being left in a critical condition she is determined that next term will be better.
Series 7
Series 7 saw a new start for Karen and the Fisher family. As her ex-husband was away with another woman, and her eldest daughter Bex was away studying at University, it was just the three of them, Karen, Jess and Harry. They seemed a happy family. In this series we see the Scotchers arrive. Karen caught the eye of Rob Scotcher and Jess caught the eye of Rob's son Aiden Scotcher. Karen and Rob started dating; this didn't see the approval of her daughter Jess as she thought it would embarrass her as he was a site manager and her mum was the Head. Karen later found out that Aiden had got both Jess and Jess's best mate Vicki pregnant, and she didn't want to be with Rob anymore after this because Aiden was bad news.
Series 7 Episode 10 was Karen and her family's last day at Waterloo Road, because Eleanor Chaudry had been giving information to the LEA which meant Karen was going to lose her job. Jess told Eleanor that if they were going to do something to save Karen's job and save Waterloo Road they needed to do it now, so Jess and Eleanor got a protest together, Jess did this because she thought her mum was great at being a headteacher and she thought Karen was the best thing that could've happened to Waterloo Road. Unfortunately this didn't work and Karen still left Waterloo Road, taking Jess and Harry with her, and that was the last we saw of the Fisher Family.
Karen is mentioned briefly by Grantly in Series 7 Episode 11 saying that the days of Karen "Mollycoddle Them" Fisher are gone and that at last the school has a headteacher with a firm hand, referring to Michael Byrne. Michael himself mentioned that Mrs Fisher may have had time to correct spelling and grammar from Janeece but he did not in the same episode. Grantly also mentions later on in Series 7 Episode 20 that he had served under 7 different heads at the school and none of them had promised so much and delivered so little eluding to not just Karen but all the previous heads such as Rachel, Jack and Brian and presumably other unseen headteachers as well.
Trivia
- Karen was the first Headteacher in the show to have had her own children attend Waterloo Road as students.
- Karen was also the first Headteacher whose children appeared in the show. Jack Rimmer also had children, however these were never featured in the show.
- Karen is the only Headteacher to have had only one Deputy Headteacher serve under her, this being Chris Mead. Brian Vaisey also only had one known deputy (Jack Rimmer), but given his length of service, it's likely he had other deputies before Jack.
- In Series 7 Episode 3 Karen mentioned to Rob that she used to be "very well acquainted" with Shakespeare, implying she may have taught English before she became a Headteacher.
- Karen was the last head of English nationality until Vaughan Fitzgerald in Series 10, though her actress is Northern Irish.
Quotes
- "Good morning. I want to welcome you all. Especially those of you who are new to...hmm." (first line)
- "Why do you hate me so much?" (to Jess Fisher)
- "How do you do it, Charlie? How do you put her in a box and carry on?"
- "I see Bex every day. Every time I turn a corner. Cross the playground. Every room I go into. Every single day. And when I think I've caught sight of her...I think 'I've found you. It's OK.' And then she turns round...and it's not Bex. It's never Bex."
- "No, you say it. Because I'm more concerned about our daughter than I am about your sordid little affair."
- "Call me naïve but I thought you'd be at least 15 or 20 years younger and a hell of a lot prettier."
- "Oh, that's very considerate of you, Charlie. Brilliant! You cheat, you betray the family, and yet you come up smelling of roses, and I'm left to take the blame for everything, that's great!"
- "I think you're naïve, I think you lack discretion, you make poor choices, and you're a liability. Apart from that, I think you have the makings of a very good teacher."
- Maria: "I just...I just mean that I understand your kids are messed up about it."
- Karen: "Don't you dare tell me that my kids are messed up. My kids are fine, thank you very much."
- "Harry? Is this true? Do you make yourself sick?"
- Karen: "You selfish idiot!"
- Chris: "Karen..."
- Karen: "You've allowed Jess to walk around all this term, carrying that with her?! Protecting you?! She's had all that other stuff to deal with! You've lied to me, all this time?! I've nearly excluded a child! Whilst you've weaselled out of responsibility! D'you know what's really sad, Chris? You could have been great. You could have been a really great teacher."
- Chris: "I've loved every minute of working here."
- Karen: "Get out. Get out!"
- Karen: "Are you moving to London?"
- Charlie: "Well, there'll be more work for me down there too."
- Karen: "Well, I'm glad I won't be around when you tell the kids!"
- "I just wondered whether we should consider using the extra money for a cause much closer to home - for someone who is experiencing the emotional and financial demands of caring for his very lovely wife, Fleur."
- Karen: "Tell me I'm not dreaming."
- Bex: "No, you're not. It really is me."
- "I'm your mother. I worry. It's what I'm supposed to do."
- "You got aggressive with Kyle. And you know what, Tom, for a moment, I thought you were gonna turn on me."
- "I don't understand. Why's she doing that?" (after seeing a porn video of Bex)
- Karen: "What on earth do you think you two are doing?"
- Amy: "Well, we were just trying to express ourselves, miss."
- Karen: "Well maybe you'd like to express yourself in my office after registration."
- "Don't be too hard on him, Marcus. Jonah was manipulated. It's black and white. No teacher should ever, ever take advantage of a pupil and then pretend it's a relationship."
- Rob: "Well, you don't keep the maintenance up, you might as well have a flashing neon sign saying 'please burgle'."
- Karen: "Good idea, though I think it might affect our insurance premiums."
- Rob: "Been a while since I had a girl help me with my homework."
- Karen: "'Girl' indeed!"
- Rob: "Karen, I'm sorry. I uh, I told him to do the right thing and come clean."
- Karen: "Well why would he do that, when his father's so very good at keeping secrets?"
- "The local authority are having a meeting today at 3 to discuss our status - whether we're failing as a school, or whether I'm failing as a head."
- "How can you be so stupid? We've talked about sex! Protection! You silly, silly girl!" (when Jess tells her she's pregnant)
- "Yeah, it's great! My deputy's just been arrested for drugs. Couldn't be better."
- "You know, up close, you're really rather pathetic, Richard."
- Tom: "What about you? Have you been reinstated?"
- Karen: "I still have to wait for the LA to decide, okay. But I love this school, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that I'm back next term."
- "I'd love for you to take me home." (final line, to Rob Scotcher)