Tina Farr & Clare Whyles, St. Ebbe’s Primary School

“A school should feel like a place where people thrive as humans. Not just as students or teachers.”

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Tina and Clare’s Story.

Tina and Clare didn’t set out to transform education. Like many passionate educators, they started with a deep love for teaching, but over time they found themselves battling a system that prioritised control over curiosity. Something had to change.

As leaders at St. Ebbe’s Primary, they chose a different path. Instead of rigid structures, they built a culture of trust in their students, their staff and their community. They stepped away from a top-down approach and embraced a school where relationships came first, where every child was seen and where learning was driven by real-world connection, not just academic outcomes.

The result? A school that feels different the moment you walk in. Children move with confidence, teachers collaborate with freedom and there’s a shared sense of purpose. It’s a place where education is not just about results but about belonging, agency and joy.

Tina and Clare’s journey proves that schools can be more than institutions - they can be living, breathing communities of learning. And when trust is at the foundation, education becomes what it was always meant to be: a space where both children and adults thrive.

Listen to the full conversation with Tina & Clare.

Episode Title
Two Inconvenient Women
“We trust our teachers, our children and our families. And when you build a school on trust, everyone thrives.”
— Tina Farr, Head Teacher

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