Recent debates within UK rural studies have stressed the interplay of economic, social, political and cultural forces, with a concomitant blurring as to what constitutes rural living, rural spaces and even rural occupations. This paper situates the rural school within this shifting social, cultural and political landscape and attends to the UK Government’s conviction that ‘local schools are at the heart of many rural communities’. The research applies an inclusive model of ethnography, drawing on participant observation, interviews and documentary analysis, to facilitate a multi-faceted engagement, and holistic exploration of the role and place of the village school in two contrasting English rural communities.