Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
Voluntary controlled primary school in Dorchester (Dorset).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Our vision is to be the best we can be. Whether you are considering Cerne Abbas CE VC First School for your child or have already decided to send your child to us, this website will tell you much more about the school and the values and standards we hold dear and work towards.
The school is small with an Early Years Class (FS1 and 2), a KS1 class (Years 1 and 2 together) and a KS2 class (Years 3 and 4 together). It is set in the beautiful village of Cerne Abbas. It is a Church of England, Voluntary Controlled School with strong links to the church and the church community.
This close knit nature is reflected in the school with our children knowing the values that we have. Our living Christian values are:
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
3 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Accelerated Reader
- Growth Mindset
- Forest School
Key facts
- URN
- 113759
- Type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- Has Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Constituency
- West Dorset
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Governing body (13 current, 7 former)
Maintained school governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Valerie Champion | Chair of Governors | Nominated by LA and appointed by GB | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Dr Barbara Southcott Former | Chair of Governors | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Valerie Champion Former | Chair of Governors | Nominated by LA and appointed by GB | since 2025 · term ended 2026 |
| Doctor Barbara Southcott Former | Chair of Governors | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Georgina Free-Hill | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Charlotte Dare | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Justin Rush | Governor | Persons who are appointed by the foundation body or sponsor (if applicable) | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Ms Alexandra Digby | Governor | Parent appointed by GB/board due to no election candidates | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Miss Heather Stephens | Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Daphne Judith Burnham | Governor | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Jonathan Woodthorpe | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Fergus Grimes | Governor | Parent appointed by GB/board due to no election candidates | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Dr Barbara Southcott | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · until 2026 ends 2026 |
| Mrs Catherine Cresswell | Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2021 · until 2030 |
| Rev Jonathan Still | Governor | Ex-officio foundation governor (appointed by foundation by virtue of the office they hold) | since 2020 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Andrea Schafer | Governance Professional - Local Authority Maintained SchoolGovernance professional | since 2012 | |
| Mrs Valerie Champion Former | Governor | Appointed by LA | since 2025 · term ended 2026 |
| Dr Fiona Hyden Former | Governor | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2025 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Jenny Rees Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Leonora Phelan Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record