This section is currently being researched by an ex- Chenies Teacher,  Judith Palfreman.  Content with pictures will be added in stages over the next few months.  In the meantime please see the Chenies Village School website.  Also for events at Chenies School please follow this link: www.chenies.bucks.sch.uk/calendar.htm

THE HISTORY OF CHENIES SCHOOL

The school is a vibrant community of pupils, staff and parents with friends from the village of Chenies. It has a history which it can be proud of, stretching back over 170 years. These are some of the milestones in the development of the school and its buildings:
 
1831 The first school was held in Lord Wriothesley Russell’s kitchen in the Rectory from 1831 to 1846

1845 The Duke of Bedford instructed an Infant School to be built, this was what is now known as No 49 Chenies, it carries a Bedford crown and the date 1845.


1846 The oldest part of the present school building was built on the instruction of Anna Maria, the wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford and there is a plan of this building in the minute book when formal records began with the formation of the School Board in 1887.  It was built to educate the children on the estate.

1879 A very special event celebrated in the school one Sunday afternoon was the presentation of a special frame made with wood from St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, with paintings of local scenes and the signatures of all the residents, to Lord Wriothesley Russell, on his Jubilee as pastor.   Of the school it was written:

“Chenies has been called a model village, and certainly this was a model school.  In these days of education, when every parish is trying to hold its own in learning, and aiming to perfect its machinery, how apt we are to forget the efforts of those who began this good work!  The undertaking at Chenies, like that in some other places, commenced in the Rectory kitchen, and went on increasing, till it not only culminated in that perfect little school-room, built by the individual sacrifice and personal effort of the noble rector, but was deemed of such high order as to find a place of commendation in the Blue Book, and to be held up as an example worthy of imitation by the whole country – according to the words of one of her Majesty’s inspectors, who was able to say, after examining Chenies school, “I consider it not only the best school in Buckinghamshire, but one of the best in England.”

What a contrast this presented to the time when education was in its infancy there, when a young aspirant after knowledge, returning home very full of the little he had acquired, essayed thus to catechize his father
and show off his own progress in the study of geography:
“Father ,” said he, “can you tell me the names of some of the most important rivers in England?”
“Well,” said the father, “there’s the Chess” (a stream flowing through Chenies), “and the Colne” (also a neighbouring brook), “and the Thames, and- and- well, the others are not of much account.”

It is only by contrast such as these that we can at all grasp the progress education has made.  If the stranger were now to visit some of the cottages in Chenies, he would find that not only would the occupants be able to aquit themselves fairly in the well-known three “R’s,” but could even excite his surprise by a wonderful knowledge of general subjects; and most of them can read music from notes, and very keen critics they are of the rendering of the singing on Sundays in Church.” (extract from “Personal Recollections of Lord Wriothesley Russell and Chenies by F. W. B. Dunne LL.B published in London by Elliot Stock, 1889.)

1887 The school came under the jurisdiction of the School Board.

1934 With the closure of a local school and the transfer of the children to Chenies, the numbers doubled to 28

1939 On the outbreak of World War 2, 24  evacuees were sent to Chenies from  Barrow Hill School with their Headmistress and two teachers.  They were placed in local homes. As local villages grew, particularly Little Chalfont, and with no extra provision of school places, Chenies, well-known for its high standards in education, was a very popular school.  Many children travelled by bus from Little Chalfont and Latimer.

1957 The school had been experiencing serious overcrowding for some years.   Between 150 and 160 children were on roll, and finally the new hall block, housing the hall, kitchens, cloakrooms and infant classroom was completed. By 1959 numbers had risen to 193.

1971  In1947 Latimer house was opened as the Joint Services Staff College at which officers of all of the Services of the UK, Commonwealth and USA would be trained together.  In 1971 this became the national Defence College.  The officers were accompanied by their families for their tour of duty and the children attended Chenies School, as did the children of the “other ranks” who ran the college in various capacities.  So Chenies gained an international reputation as a very caring school with high standards.

1975 A further extension, providing another classroom, library area, cloakrooms for both children and adults, offices for the Headteacher and the secretary, and a staff room was completed.  Within a few years of each other two new schools were completed in Little Chalfont and one in Chorleywood, taking a substantial number of pupils back into their natural catchment areas.

1984  As a result of defence cuts, the National Defence College moved  from Latimer House.  This was a sad day for the school, another chapter in its history closed, and the children with such interesting travelling lives were lost.  After this there was a difficult period.  30 children left the school when the College closed, leaving the school with just 74 on roll.  This was also the period when the Falling Rolls panel was visiting schools in the area, trying to rationalise the provision of primary school places.  Fortunately, the number on roll slowly increased and the Falling Rolls panel never visited!

1996 The School celebrated its 150th anniversary with a series of special events.  The whole school was in Victorian costume and followed a Victorian timetable for a week.  The Duke of Bedford gave special permission for the Bedford Chapel to be open to the public, but particularly for the staff and pupils.  The Marquis and Marchioness of Tavistock presented the prizes at the Annual Prizegiving.

Anniversary Photo 1996

2000 The children were presented with medallions by the Council to celebrate the Millenium.

2007 Playground improvements included the adventure playground.

2008 The introduction of the Thomas Kelly Wildlife Area saw the transformation of the school garden into an area for all to enjoy.
 
So the School continues into the 21st century, very proud of its history, proud of the high standards which it still maintains and proud of the caring atmosphere which produces confident young people ready to move on into higher education.

The present school building dates from 1846, when it was built on the instruction of the Duke of Bedford. However there is evidence of an earlier school when the children were taught in the kitchen of the Rectory. An Infant School was also built by the Duke in 1845.

1841 - Robert Hockley (29) Schoolmaster and his wife Harriet (33) were living in the Schoolhouse with their two children, Albert (2) and William (10 months). (1841 Census)  This predates the present school building.

1846 - The oldest part of the present buildings was opened.

1851- Robert Hockley (38) Schoolmaster and Harriet Hockley (42), schoolmistress, were living in the schoolhouse with their children Albert 12, Robert 9, Harriet 6, Gertrude 3, all scholars, also Mrs Michel Clark ,a widow aged 39 and her daughter Hannah, 10, who was the Infant School Teacher. This was housed at No 49 Chenies, which has a Bedford crown and the date, 1845.  These still remained in post in the 1861 Census.

1868 - (approx) James Dolman, Certificated teacher, appointed, whilst Mrs Hockley continued as School Mistress.

1871 - James Dolman (31),continued in post, living in a boarding house between the Bedford Arms and the School House with his wife Caroline, who was born in Chenies, the daughter of the licensee on the Red Lion (Hughes), and their two children, Frank,2, and James, 1.  Michel Clark continued to be in charge of the Infant School.  Robert Hockley, still living in the School House, is now described as the Parish Clerk, but Harriet is still schoolmistress.  George Forfeit was a pupil teacher, son of the farm bailiff and living in the Bailiff’s cottage.

1883 - Until the end of 1883 the School was described as “Mixed”, with Mr. Dolman in overall charge.

1884 - The school was split into a Boys’ School under Mr. Dolman, and a Girl’s School under Zeta Bradshaw with an Infant Class.

1885 - Edward G. Cocks takes over the Boy’s School.  He was formerly a pupil teacher.  “The Chenies Song Book” was later published with his name as author.

1887 - Miss Sophia Smith was appointed Headmistress from September 1st, under the new School Board.  The children were now taught in one mixed school.

1893 - Thomas James was appointed Headteacher from 1st September 1893 and held the position for just over 28 years until December 1921.

1922 - H. Shersby was a Supply Headteacher for one term.

1922 - Mrs. Daisy Ethel Beal was in post from  April 3rd until March 31st 1926.

The picture shows Mrs Beal (sitting to left), Ms Eva Goodson (Assistant, sitting to right) and some of the pupils from 1925







1926 - Kathleen Irene Cruickshank was in post for one term.

1926 - Mrs. Emilie Life came to Chenies in July 1926 and retired 25  years later.  She took the school through a very varied chapter of its history, seeing numbers rise from 17 to 155, and coping with the evacuees during the 
war years.













Cutting from the Daily Mirror, 1951

No marble clock or engraved silver tray for the retiring headmistress. The “Mrs Chips” of Chenies Bucks will have a better token  of her pupils love in her new home.

One hundred and sixty eight bricks each inscribed with the name of a child at the village school form part of the walls. Here, headmistress Mrs Emilie Life, surrounded by “her children”  watches Valerie Watson lay her brick.Mrs Life had been headmistress at  Chenies for twenty-five years. And so reluctant was she to leave the village that the Duke of Bedford sold her a piece of land so that    she could have a house built within sight of the school playground. It  was the first private house to be built on the Duke’s land for over 100 years.

1951- Miss Alice Redit (left) began her appointment on September 4th. 1951 and retired in July 1969 after 18 years.

1969 - Richard Leonard Crozier (right) came to Chenies in September 1969 and sadly died on January 29th 1982 while still in post.  He was looking forward to taking early retirement in the summer of 1982 as he had not been in excellent health for some time.




1982 - Mrs Joyce Gilding, the Deputy Headteacher, stepped into the breach as Acting Headteacher for two terms.

1982 - Frederick Norman John Reeves (left) was introduced to the school, firstly as Acting Headteacher, and then was appointed as Headteacher.  He steered the school through a period of change, with the challenges of falling roles, the introduction of the National Curriculum and the computer age.  He retired after 17 very happy years, in July 1999.

1999 - Miss Mary Green (right) arrived in September1999.  During her time at the school she became Mrs Alderson and then, after 5 years, decided to re-train for a career in law.

2004 - Mrs Gill Walley was with the school for two terms from September 2004 to April 2005.

2005 - Mr. Eddie Richings came first to Chenies as Acting Headteacher, and then became Headteacher, and is still in post.