Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School
Voluntary aided primary school in Checkendon (Oxfordshire).
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
Welcome to Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School As Headteacher, I am delighted and honoured to welcome you to our wonderful school. Checkendon is a warm, inclusive, and family-oriented community where every child is valued, encouraged, and supported to flourish. Our vision – "unlocking the unique voice within each child" – is at the heart of everything we do.
We want our pupils to live, love, and learn to the fullest, growing in confidence, curiosity, and resilience. Our Christian ethos sets high expectations for both learning and personal growth, encouraging children to embrace challenge, celebrate effort, and discover their unique talents.
The May 2024 SIAMS inspection praised our inspiring vision, rich curriculum, strong relationships, and inclusive, invitational worship. "The Christian vision is inspiring and lived out by the Checkendon school community… Pupils and adults value one another as they seek to enable everyone to flourish."
Pupils thrive academically, creatively, physically, and spiritually – excelling in music, sport, drama, art, and more. We are proud of our Platinum Sports Mark award, consistently strong academic results, and our vibrant programme of enrichment activities, including Forest School, visits and visitors.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
16 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Athletics
- Choir
- Computing
- Drama
- Football
- Gardening
- Gymnastics
- Hockey
- Judo
- Lego
- Music
- Netball
- Sewing
- Forest School
- Growth Mindset
- Zones of Regulation
Awards
3 awardsiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Duke of EdinburghPersonal development
- Music MarkMusic
- School Games MarkSport
Key facts
- URN
- 123200
- Type
- Voluntary aided school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Oxfordshire
- Constituency
- Henley and Thame
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Governing body (15 current, 3 former)
Maintained school governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Rachel Merritt | Chair of Governors | Parent appointed by GB/board due to no election candidates | since 2026 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr James Rawson Former | Chair of Governors | Elected by parents | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Matt Eden | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Thomas Crouch | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Naomi Middleton | Governor | Parent appointed by GB/board due to no election candidates | since 2026 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Saffy O'Sullivan | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Ms Lydia Wozniak | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Dawn Cox | Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Nigel Dunstan | Governor | Appointed by LA | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Steve Lisansky | Governor | Persons who are appointed by the foundation body or sponsor (if applicable) | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Holly Wrankmore | Governor | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Piers Craven | Governor | Persons who are appointed by the foundation body or sponsor (if applicable) | since 2022 · until 2026 ends 2026 |
| Mr James Rawson | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Headteacher Sarah Hillier | Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2021 |
| Mr Marc Bradley | Governor | Persons who are appointed by the foundation body or sponsor (if applicable) | since 2020 · until 2028 |
| Canon Kevin Davies | Governor | Ex-officio foundation governor (appointed by foundation by virtue of the office they hold) | since 2002 |
| Mr Richard Castle Former | Governor | Persons who are appointed by the foundation body or sponsor (if applicable) | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Julia Cooke Former | Governor | Persons who are appointed by the foundation body or sponsor (if applicable) | since 2021 · 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