Meet the Team
Esther Turner
Founder and Company Director
With extensive experience in working in schools and alternative education, Esther founded EST Education due to the increasing need for pastoral intervention and wellbeing support needed for our young people in Salford. Esther is a qualified teacher with QTLS and over thirteen years experience of teaching in alternative education, including working as a Deputy Headteacher. Esther has also worked for Early Help on the attendance project, where she supported children and families with removing complex barriers to learning and accessing full-time education.
Esther says : “I didn’t enjoy school myself and I felt very alone for a lot of my school years. I don’t want any young person to feel how I did - everyone should feel that they have someone who cares about them and wants the best for them, particulaly our children and young people. I do what I do because I want to make a difference and to help change lives”
In her spare time, Esther enjoys meditation and wellbeing classes, yoga, fitness and travelling with her family.
Amanda Tipping - HR Director
Amanda is our independent HR Director here at EST Education. Amanda’s role is to provide impartial HR support, acting as a bridge between our business and our employees. Amanda is here to listen, guide, and support, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard, questions are answered, and issues are handled fairly and effectively. Amanda’s HR support is designed to bridge the gap between our business goals and our employees’ needs. HR services ensure clear communication, fair practices, and practical solutions, helping both staff and management thrive in a positive and productive environment.
James Turner -Commercial Director
James is our Commercial Director. James has extensive financial experience and expertise; already working in a seperate role as a Director for a large sales company, he is able to share his knowledge and skills in our board meetings as well as giving advice and information on our finances, managing our invoices and books and organising our accounts. James is also our IT support so is able to step in with any technical help required for our team.
In his spare time, James likes spending time with his family, travelling both near and far and watching all things Jeremy Clarkson!
Claire Bex - Pastoral Director, Theraputic Lead and DSL
Claire is a qualified integrative counsellor with extensive experience in supporting young people across education, youth work, and mental health settings. Claire’s therapeutic approach integrates person-centred principles and a brief model of CBT, delivered through a trauma-informed and solution-focused lens. She is dedicated to fostering safety, hope, and empowerment in the young people she works with.
Claie says, “I am passionate about creating safe, collaborative spaces where young people feel heard, supported, and empowered and can bring to the provision an understanding of young people’s mental health and resilience building.”
Claire loves live music, all thing dogs and plants, paddle boarding and collecting crystals.
Nate Frost - Student Mentor, Mental Health Lead and DDSL
Nate is our Art Therapist who has over 10 years experience working in youth work settings, and across different sectors. He is a qualified Youth Worker, with an Undergraduate Degree in Youth Work and a Masters in Socially Engaged Arts Practice with training and experience in Trauma Informed Practice and Mental Health First Aid. He enjoys organising creative activities that ignite inspiration and amplify voices, and experimenting with creativity.
Alongside working in youth work settings, Nate works with charities, organisations, art galleries, schools and colleges as a Participatory Visual Art Facilitator.
In his spare time, Nate enjoys gardening, going to arty events and attending workshops about moss.
Beky Wakefield - Student Mentor
IBeky has over three years of experience supporting young people in education. Beky began her career in the retail sector 20 years ago but later decided on a career change to transfer her skills to help support young people which Beky says she enjoys immensely.
Alongside this role, Beky also works part-time in a high school as part of the SEND and inclusion team, where she help create a supportive and understanding environment for students who need it most.
Beky is a good listener and takes an empathetic, calm approach to her work. She enjoys building trust with young people and supporting them through challenges, both inside and outside of the classroom. Beky’s focus is on helping students feel understood, confident, and capable of making positive progress.
With the experience and knowledge Beky has gained, her aim is to guide and support young people to become the best versions of themselves, both personally and academically.
Outside of work, Beky enjoys playing crown green bowls for which she is Captain to a local ladies team. She also enjoys watching her local rugby league team, Warrington play weekly. Beky also loves holidays and weekends away with her partner.
Emma Stott
Emma is a certified therapeutic coach with a strong trauma informed approach which links in mindfulness, attachment styles and therapeutic parenting. She is also a qualified personal trainer and nutrition coach.
Holistic wellbeing is at the heart of what she does.
Emma started her career as a nursery nurse working with children under 5. She worked in private nurseries and managed a pre-school for 4 years. Emma continued gaining valuable experience within the NHS and the Education sector. Later she became a Learning Mentor in a primary school before working for children’s social care in adoption. Emma has more than 33 years of experience of working with children/teens and their families.
Emma says she is super excited about making a difference to people’s lives by empowering them to discover(or re-discover!) the resources they already have within themselves, by supporting them to achieve whatever they want in life. Especially teenagers!
Emma is a northern girl with lots of passion and enthusiasm. She lives in Greater Manchester with her husband and they have 3 grown up children.
Likes: Indian food, coffee, walking in nature, weight training, yoga, reading books, meditation and journaling, being with family, listening to music and going to concerts.
Dislikes: Bullying, unfairness, rushing, being late, disorganisation.
Janie Barclay - Student Mentor
Janie holds a Level 4 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling. She has supported vulnerable people in crisis, including
young adults coping with change. Janie’s goal is to help people reconnect with hope, supporting our young people to develop self-worth and self-belief, reduce feelings of isolation and helping our children to live healthier lives. Janie’s approach offers a listening ear alongside therapeutic mentoring, whilst guiding and encouraging positive change for our young people.
Janie says, “Supporting people to make positive changes and live better lives is something I have always strived to do. Now being able to provide this support in a professional capacity to young people means the world to me. It’s a real honour. Young people are our future - it should be our responsibility to help them achieve what they need to in a safe and nurturing environment.”
In her spare time, Janie enjoys writing and performing poetry and songs, fitness, live music and dancing for fun and wellness
Duke the 2nd of Worsleyshire - Therapy Dog
Duke is our school therapy dog who is availible to offer emotional support to our young people when they are feeling sad or low and at all other times! Duke loves cuddles, kisses, people and eating food!
