Gervase Phinn 3 Books Set The School at the Top of the Dale, Tales Out of School, A Class Act

This three-book set brings together Gervase Phinn’s Top of the Dales series, following newly qualified teacher Tom Dwyer as he takes up his first post in the Yorkshire Dales village of Risingdale. Centred on the village school and its close-knit community, the stories trace Tom’s efforts to settle into unfamiliar routines, navigate distinctive local personalities and cope with the everyday demands of classroom life.

Across The School at the Top of the Dale, Tales Out of School and A Class Act, Tom’s early months in Risingdale are shaped by a challenging first term, personal disappointments and shifting relationships among staff. Village gossip and changing dynamics within the school add further complications, while differing views on how the school should be run place additional pressure on teachers and pupils.

Included titles

• The School at the Top of the Dale
• Tales Out of School
• A Class Act

Key details

• Three-book collection
• Top of the Dales series
• Written by Gervase Phinn
• Set in the Yorkshire Dales village of Risingdale

Synopses

The School at the Top of the Dale

Tom Dwyer arrives in Risingdale to begin his first teaching post at the village school. Unsure whether he will find his place in the community, he joins the staff and soon learns that his first term will not be straightforward. Classroom pressures are compounded by disagreements with Miss Janette Fairborn and the local squire’s son.

Tales Out of School

Following an eventful start in Risingdale, Tom hopes for a calmer period as he concentrates on his work. Still dealing with a romantic disappointment, he tries to keep a low profile, but village life continues to intrude. Gossip grows when a London artist moves into the area, and her son joins Tom’s class.

A Class Act

Change arrives in Risingdale as Gerald Gaunt, headmaster of the primary school for more than thirty years, prepares to retire. He wants his successor to help secure a positive future for the school, but Mr Smart has different ideas about how it should be run. As tensions build, the teachers face further dramas alongside the upheaval.