Marcus Kirby is a former academic and the driving force behind the Kirby family’s previous decision to home-educate Jonah and Ruth. Marcus home-educated out of pride and ambition, quantifying life success as academic success and he’s afraid that Waterloo Road will wipe out all of his brilliant work and harm his children’s bright future. As they start at the school Marcus is determined that his children will return to home-schooling, but when Karen brings him in for a review of their progress Marcus is surprised to find her also offering him a job. She’s seen his dynamism with pupils and wants to harness it at the school. Marcus has a long way to go in conquering his prejudices against the state system but no one can deny he’s a great teacher