Oxford News
Full list of 117 school closures in Oxfordshire TODAY
The Met Office issued a red extreme heat warning for Oxfordshire and other parts of the southeast of England from 9am yesterday, Wednesday, June 24 until 9pm today, Thursday, June 25.
This comes as the record for the UK’s hottest June day was broken for a third time yesterday, with a temperature of 36°C breaking the previous record of 50 years.
The record was broken when provisional temperatures reached 36°C in Wisley, Surrey, and Gosport, Hampshire, today (Wednesday, June 24), the Met Office said.
It follows provisional temperatures reaching 35.7°C in Charlwood, Surrey, and 35.8°C at Wiggonholt, West Sussex, earlier on in the day.
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Oxfordshire schools closed TODAY (Thursday, June 25) in alphabetical order
Abbey Woods Academy
Status: Closed
Closure dates: Thursday, June 25
All Saints Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Ashbury With Compton Beauchamp Church of England Primary School
Status: Closed
Aureus Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Bardwell School
Status: Closed
Barley Hill Primary School
Status: Closed
Bartholomew School
Status: Part open
Bishopswood School
Status: Closed
Blessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth Form
Status: Part open
Closure dates: closed to Years 7, 8 and 9
Bloxham Grove Academy
Status: Closed
Botley School
Status: Closed
Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Buckland Church of England Primary School
Status: Closed
Burford Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.10pm
Burford School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Caldecott Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 11.30am
Carterton Community College
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.15pm
Carterton Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Chalgrove Community Primary School
Status: Closed
Charlton Primary School
Status: Closed
Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Cheney School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.15pm
Chilton County Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Clanfield CofE Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.10pm
Clifton Hampden Church of England Primary School
Status: Closed
Combe CofE Primary School
Status: Closed
Cumnor Church of England School
Status: Closed
Cutteslowe Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Dashwood Banbury Academy
Status: Closed
Didcot Girls’ School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.15pm
Drayton Community Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.10pm
Dry Sandford Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 11.30am
Ducklington Primary School
Status: Closed
Dunmore Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.10pm
Europa School UK
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Faringdon Community College
Status: Closed
Finstock Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Fitzharrys School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.10pm
Five Acres Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.15pm
Folly View Primary
Status: Closed
Frank Wise School
Status: Closed
Futures Institute Banbury
Status: Closed
Gagle Brook Primary School
Status: Closed
Gateway Primary School
Status: Closed
Gillotts School
Status: Closed
Glory Farm Primary School
Status: Closed
Graven Hill Primary School
Status: Closed
Great Milton Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Grove Church of England School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 11am
Hagbourne Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Hailey Church of England Primary School
Status: Closed
Harriers Banbury Academy
Status: Closed
Harwell Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Heyford Park School
Status: Closed
Icknield Community College
Status: Closed
John Blandy Primary School
Status: Closed
John Watson School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
King Alfred’s
Status: Closed
King’s Meadow Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 11am
Ladygrove Park Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Langford Village Community Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.45pm
Larkmead School
Status: Closed
Launton Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Leafield Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Lewknor Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Long Furlong Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Long Wittenham (Church of England) Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Longfields Primary and Nursery School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 11.30am
Lord Williams’s School
Status: Closed
Mabel Prichard School
Status: Closed
Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge
Status: Closed
Manor Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Matthew Arnold School
Status: Closed
Meadowbrook College
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Middle Barton Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Mill Lane Community Primary School
Status: Closed
Millbrook Primary School
Status: Closed
Northern House Academy
Status: Part open for selected classes
Orion Academy
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Queen Emma’s Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Radley Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Rush Common School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Shellingford Church of England (Voluntary Aided) School
Status: Closed
Shiplake Church of England School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Shrivenham Church of England School
Status: Closed
Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Slade Nursery School
Status: Closed
South Stoke Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.15pm
Southwold Primary School
Status: Closed
Springfield School
Status: Closed
St Amand’s Catholic Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.45pm
St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School, Chinnor
Status: Closed
St Barnabas’ Church of England Aided Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.15pm
St Christopher’s Church of England School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: early finish at 1.10pm
St Ebbe’s Church of England Aided Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.45pm
St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
St Francis Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
St James Church of England Primary School, Hanney
Status: Closed
St John the Evangelist CofE VA Primary School
Status: Closed
St Mary’s Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
St Nicholas CofE Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: 12pm
St Nicolas Church of England Primary School, Abingdon
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
St Swithun’s CofE Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Stadhampton Primary School
Status: Closed
Stephen Freeman Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Stockham Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 11.30am
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.10pm
Sutton Courtenay Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Thameside Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 11.30am
The Bicester School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.10pm
The Cooper School
Status: Closed
The Elms Primary School
Status: Closed
The Henry Box School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 11.30am
The Iffley Academy
Status: Closed
The Marlborough Church of England School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.25pm
The Oxford Academy
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.35pm
The Swan School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 11.35am
The Warriner School
Status: Closed
Thomas Reade Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Trinity Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12pm
Uffington Church of England Primary School
Status: Closed
Valley Road School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Wantage Church of England Primary School
Status: Closed
Watchfield Primary School
Status: Closed
Watlington Primary School
Status: Closed
West Kidlington Primary and Nursery School
Status: Closed
West Oxford Community Primary School
Status: Closed
Wheatley Park School
Status: Closed
Whitelands Academy
Status: Closed
Willowcroft Community School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 12.30pm
Windmill Primary School
Status: Closed
Windrush Church of England Primary School
Status: Closed
Wolvercote Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.15pm
Wood Farm Primary School
Status: Closed
Woodstock Church of England Primary School
Status: Closed
Wootton St Peter’s Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1pm
Wychwood Church of England Primary School
Status: Part open
Closure dates: from 1.15pm
Wykham Park
Status: Closed
The UK’s Met Office has revealed the storm names for 2026/27, selected from more than 40,000 public suggestions.
The scheme is run in partnership with Met Eireann in Ireland and KNMI in the Netherlands, and the list starts each year in September to reflect the beginning of the autumn storm season.
This storm season includes names such as Austen, Boelo and Chloe and each has a story behind its nomination.
Staying safe during a thunderstorm
Names were submitted in honour of children, pets and even characters like Shaun the Sheep, as well as in memory of loved ones and meteorological trailblazers.
Under naming conventions used for storms in the North Atlantic, the list runs alphabetically, missing out Q, U, X, Y and Z.
Chloe, the third name on the list this year, was nominated more than 120 times.
One suggestion came from the mother of a five-year-old described as being “fascinated by the weather” who can also “create a storm by herself” when tired.
Other names have similarly personal backstories.
Finn was put forward for a two-year-old described as “wild and a force to be reckoned with”, while Ivy was nominated in honour of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy affectionately called “the absolute destructor”.
Nicola was suggested as a tribute to a mother who has “weathered many a storm and only come out stronger”.
Some names reflect a wider cultural reach.
Shaun, selected following a public vote, was included as part of a collaboration with Aardman, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, to help raise awareness of storm preparedness.
Scattered showers moving eastwards this afternoon, some heavy and perhaps thundery ☔
Turning drier and fresher in the west, with sunny spells ⛅
Cloud and rain returning to the northwest later 🌧️ pic.twitter.com/0s2Je7rraP
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 31, 2026
The list also honours figures in meteorological history.
Met Eireann chose Austen in tribute to Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service as it marks its 90th anniversary.
Evelyn was selected in honour of Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present weather forecasts on Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE.
Why are storms named?
The scheme began in 2015 and aims to improve public awareness and response in the face of severe weather.
Last year, four names were used from the list, reaching Storm Dave in April.
The UK was also affected by three additional storms named by other European meteorological services: Benjamin, Claudia and Goretti.
The Met Office said names are reviewed for pronunciation, potential meanings across different languages, connections to public figures and any risk of controversy.
When is a storm named?
A storm is named when it’s expected to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands.
Wind is the primary consideration, but significant effects from rain or snow are also taken into account.
Met Office confirms storm names for 2026/27
This year’s names, and the country they came from, are:
- Austen (Ireland)
- Boelo (pronounced Boo-loh) (Netherlands)
- Chloe (UK)
- Dano (pronounced Dah-noh) (Netherlands)
- Evelyn (Ireland)
- Finn (UK)
- Gwendolyn (Netherlands)
- Heather (Ireland)
- Ivy (UK)
- Jade (Netherlands)
- Kilian (Ireland)
- Laoise (pronounced Lee-sha) (Ireland)
- Miriam (Ireland)
- Nicola (UK)
- Olaf (Netherlands)
- Phelim (Fay-lim) (Ireland)
- Ruban (UK)
- Shaun (UK)
- Theo (UK)
- Vesna (Vehs-nuh) (Netherlands)
- Wende (Vhen-duh) (Netherlands)
Holly Clements, Met Office head of warnings and guidance, said: “For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively.
“A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.”
Recommended reading:
Eoin Sherlock, Met Eireann head of forecasting division, said: “We know that naming storms makes it easier for people to track important and up-to-date forecast and safety-related information as we can see from the levels of traffic and activity through our website and across social media platforms during storm events.
“2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Irish Meteorological Service and we are proud to be able to recognise some of the significant contributors to our history in the list of storm names this year.”
Which names would you add to the list of storm names? Let us know in the comments below.
Charlie Matthews appeared at Oxford Crown Court on August 27.
The 25-year-old is charged with two counts of rape.
The allegations are said to have taken place in Oxford in April and October 2021.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire data centres call to ‘pause’ expansion
The complainant for both counts is the same woman.
Matthews, of Langney Road, Eastbourne, pleaded not guilty to both counts.
A trial date, with a time estimate of four to five days, was set for August 21, 2028.
Judge Ian Pringle KC said that this is some seven years after the offences are alleged to have taken place.
The judge said: “Unfortunately, that’s the situation.”
Matthews was released on bail, with the condition not to contact the complainant.
Islandfarm Viscount is a 13-year-old gelding from Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell near Wallingford.
He took the top title at the 2026 Donkey Breed Society National Championship Show, held on August 22 at Pickering Grange Equestrian Centre in Coalville.
He is the offspring of East Lodge Bryony, a donkey left to the sanctuary by the late Alex and Sue Horn.
Mr Horn was a respected figure in donkey showing and won numerous awards during his lifetime.
Viscount has built an impressive record of his own, with championship wins at the Mid Somerset Show and the New Forest and Hampshire Show.
He was named Reserve Champion at the Ellingham and Ringwood Show, placing just behind stablemate Perehill Magical Moments.
Both donkeys qualified for the national finals, where Viscount claimed the Senior Gelding Class and went on to be named British Champion Gelding for the fifth year in a row.
He then competed against other class winners and took home the Supreme Champion title and trophy.
Perehill Magical Moments earned her place at the finals after wins at the Heckinton Show and Ellingham and Ringwood.
At the national event, she won the Senior Mare class and was named Reserve Mare Champion.
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