Eve and Ohner Shearman, and their mum Nu, died in the blaze
Sarah Lumley
05:00, 08 Jan 2026
The headteacher of two youngsters killed in a house fire on Boxing Day has paid tribute to his former pupils, saying they were 'two very special children'.
Eve and Ohner Shearman, aged seven and four years old, died after the blaze tore through their home in Brimscombe, near Stroud, in the early hours of December 26. The fire also killed their mum Fionnghuala, known as Nu, and the family dog, Hutch.
Tom Shearman, a serving police officer with Gloucestershire Constabulary, escaped the fire, and tried to get back in to rescue his family. But he has been left facing his 'darkest of hours' following the event which has sent shock waves through the community.
And as pupils returned to school this week following the Christmas holidays, the headteacher at Minchinhampton Church of England Primary Academy, which was attended by both Eve and Ohner, has paid tribute to the two 'remarkable' children.
Speaking outside the school, Nick Moss said: "These were two very special children. They were a good few years apart, but remarkably similar in their levels of sensitivity and empathy. They reached out to other children, both of them.
"Even though little Ohner was so young, he was the go-to for his classmates and he was really helpful, always helping out other children, always sensitive to other children's needs.
"Eve was the slightly more grown-up version of that. She was amazing. Whenever there was a child who really was struggling, you'd suddenly find Eve.
"They were charming company. I had lots of conversations with Eve over time, and I feel like I would walk out of a conversation getting almost as much out of it as she would. I had almost as much to learn from her as she did from me.
"She was a lovely young person. These were two quite unusual, remarkable children."
Mr Moss also paid tribute to Eve and Ohner's mum, Nu, adding: "She was possibly the inspiration for all of that.
"She was here every week, running a needlework club at lunchtime precisely for children who were struggling. That's the kind of person she was, she was exceptional and very compassionate."
The headteacher, who has worked at Minchinhampton Primary Academy for more than 16 years, has praised Tom Shearman's 'incredible courage' in the wake of the event.
He said: "As a dad myself, the level of anguish he must be going through defeats me. I can't really begin to understand. The words that he put out last week to the community were incredibly courageous.
"To be putting out a statement and for so much of it to be thinking about other people in the community, and giving solace to some of those people, I think it's extraordinarily brave at this point in time. I'm in awe of his courage."
Meanwhile, next door from the primary school, at Holy Trinity Church Minchinhampton, an array of floral tributes, cards, and cuddly toys have been arranged on a bench outside in the churchyard.
And more cards have been arranged inside, alongside a memorial book filled with messages for Tom and his family, and a hawthorn tree of remembrance with tags hanging off the branches in memory of Nu, Eve and Ohner.
The church has been open each day this week for members of the public to drop in and pay tribute, and a special service was held last Sunday which was attended by some 200 people, according to one church-goer.
Howard Gilbert, rector of Holy Trinity Church, said: "It's had a massive impact on the local community, and has shown quite how well loved they were in the community.
"They were clearly very loved, there's been a huge outpouring of shock and grief and sadness. We've had services and drop-ins, we've had hundreds of people come through the doors.
"It's been a real privilege as a church to be able to offer community space where people have been able to just come in and talk to each other in this space.
"We've had people lighting candles in memory and as a sign of hope, leaving messages for Tom and his family in the memorial book. Lots of children have come in and done artwork and made tags to hang on the tree of remembrance.
"It has really dominated the community over the last week or so since it happened. It has been, in a very strange sort of way, a joy to be able to be with people at this time, and that we can enable the community to do what it needs to do."
The rector added that the church will remain open for drop-ins each morning this week, as they continue to work with Tom and his family to look ahead to celebrate the legacy of Nu, Eve and Ohner.
In the meantime, a GoFundMe page has been set up to support Tom in the aftermath of the tragic event, which has so far raised almost £435,000. To donate, visit here.