Chenies School 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.
In 1845 The Duke of Bedford instructed an Infant School to be built, this was what is now known as No 49 Chenies (Field Cottage), 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.”
Head Teachers of Chenies School
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.
Rose J Maling was a pupil at the school during this time, and she remembers drawing in a sand tray on her first day, and missing her cousin. She writes:
‘There were at one time between forty and fifty children in the school in three classes, infants taught by Miss Turtle, The Middle Class by Miss Haynes and the big ones by the Headmaster. We did not wear uniform but the girls wore white starched pinafores… Boys wore strong grey serge or corduroy knickerbockers buttoned just below the knee and long socks with turnover tops.
A bell hung in a little turret on the roof …rung by a long rope hanging down inside. There was always a bit of competition to get to ring it. We all had to line up outside and march into school. We had drill on Monday mornings. Sometimes in very hot weather we had our lesson on the Green underneath a lovely Lime tree. The girls had sewing lessons. Boys were taught gardening, once very essential in the country where most of our vegetables were grown.
The cane was used quite frequently, mostly on the palm of the hands but sometimes if the Master was annoyed it would be across the legs as well. If he saw us making mistakes when he looked over our shoulder he would rap our knuckles with a ruler or box our ears. Another punishment was to stand in the corner of the room with the hands behind the back and sometimes we would see the culprit turn around and grin or wink.
At one stage we had to use slates and slate pencils for writing. I hated the sound they made … The inkwells were set into holes in the desks, they had to be washed out occasionally, this was a cold job as the tap was outside, it was also used for water for the Headmasters house, as they did not have taps indoors, nor was there water laid on in the toilets. These were across the playground, and consisted of wooden seats with a step in front and a bucket underneath which a man was paid to empty into a hole dug in the garden. Toilet paper was newspaper cut into squares and hung up on a loop of string.
The classrooms were heated by huge iron stoves, but they never seemed warm enough in winter. They had big iron guards round them and if any children got very wet they were allowed to hang their coats on the guards to dry. Chilblains were a real nuisance. The average number of children at school was around 40 to 50 aged from 3 to 14, when we left school for good.’ (see more here).
1922 – H. Shersby was a Supply Headteacher for one term. Mrs. Daisy Ethel Beal was in post from April 3rd until March 31st 1926.
1926 – Kathleen Irene Cruickshank was in post for one term. 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 16 to 175, and coping with the evacuees during the war years.
Emilie recalls:
Chenies School comprised four classrooms – two large and two small. One large room was used for lessons, the other as a hall for drill and dancing – the smaller rooms for dining and a stockroom office, respectively. There was no electric light! When I was appointed, there were only sixteen children on the roll, ages ranging from four to eleven and over. The older children in the village were taken by bus to Chesham. I believe I make a correct statement when I say this was the first school in the county to be ‘decapitated’. Emilie Life – retirement speech (edited transcript)
During the 1930s, the school roll had dropped to just 10 pupils, making Chenies the smallest in Buckinghamshire and placing it under threat of closure. Similar falling numbers were faced by other village schools in the area, and in the end Chenies survived by dint of its having buildings in better condition than its competitors. Chenies duly acquired 24 new children from Latimer, which subsequently rose to 50 by the outbreak of war in 1939, allowing the school to take on a second teacher to look after the class of infants.
However, World War II brought new challenges, with the evacuation of children from London to the safer environment of Buckinghamshire. Emilie remembers:
‘Then came the war and evacuees and London (LCC) teachers. In one week, our numbers rose to 175 and the staff to six. In a room for 40 we packed 120 children, three in a desk, with two of us to instruct same. From September till May we struggled under those conditions. Perforce we had to take many combined lessons. Heretofore, the singing of my children had been rather weak and colourless. What a change when the LCC children joined in! Believe me everyone in Bucks could have known what we did to the drunken sailor!! No longer did any mistake in my accompaniment sound to high heaven….’ Emilie Life – retirement speech (edited transcript)
Despite the strains on accommodation at the school, the arrival of evacuees had its rewards. The Chenies staff became very fond of them, and their presence made a change from the pre-war routine. Emilie had a deep affection for all her pupils, valuing the trust and privileged access she and the other teachers had to their personal lives: ‘One is made a member of their family – a kind of extra auntie’.
One former pupil, Tony Borton (see above photo) who attended the school during Emilie’s tenure recalls walking through the woods to school from Chorleywood. He remembers ,
‘Not long after I started attending, the half dozen or so students from Chorley Wood were provided with transportation to and from school in the luxury of a Rolls Royce for the remainder of my time there. I still vividly remember walking up to the Manor for lunches every day after enjoying the free milk during the morning. Other memories like the huge sliding doors between classrooms and the school dental nurse who visited on a regular basis with her foot operated drill. I was one of the pupils that had my name engraved in a brick that was laid in the wall of Mrs. Life’s retirement home, not far from the school’
1951– Miss Alice Redit began her appointment on September 4th, 1951 and retired in July 1969 after 18 years.
1969 – Richard Leonard Crozier 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 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 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.
2010 – Mr.Richings came first to Chenies as Acting Headteacher, and then became Headteacher. Miss. Hannah Ewers was appointed Acting Head in September 2010 with the intention to appoint as substantive Head once having acquired an NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship). A very busy first year got the School on track financially, re-organised the staff and delivered school meals on a daily basis. Miss Ewers at the same time as completed her NPQH and found time to get married; she became Mrs. Burnett in April 2011. Mrs. Burnett was then made substantive Head in Sept 2011 with all the qualifications under her belt.
The current Head at Chenies School is Ms Rebecca Sutherland
content source: School records contributor: Andy Homewood date published: 01/11/2025