Helena Romanes School
All-through · Academy converter · Ages 4–18 · Great Dunmow, Essex
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Essex County Council · offers on 2 March 2026
Year 7 last distance offered, 2022–2026 (miles)
All: every applicant was offered a place.
Helena Romanes School is an all-through school in Great Dunmow, Essex for ages 4–18 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 10 October 2023. Essex has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2022 to 2026 entry.
Helena Romanes School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2025 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2023 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2022 | Every applicant was offered a place |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Year 7 2026 entry drew 142 first-choice applications for 199 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 57 offers went to families who ranked it second or lower.
- Every Year 7 applicant in 2026 was offered a place, and 270 places are published for Year 7 2027.
- At A level in 2024/25 the average grade was D+ (England B-), and progress from GCSE to A level was below average.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Essex schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Parsonage Downs, Great Dunmow, CM6 2AU
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- All-through
- Ages
- 4–18
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Essex
- Pupils on roll
- 1,265 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 16.8% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 18.7
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 10 October 2023
Strengths
- “Pupils appreciate that the school is improving.”
- “Most pupils enjoy attending Helena Romanes School.”
- “They benefit from a diverse range of visits and visitors, and trips such as to battlefields in Belgium, theatres and the Millennium Seedbank.”
To improve
- “On occasion, opportunities for discussion, debate and sharing of knowledge are limited.”
- “Pupils are not always able to explain their ideas clearly and confidently when speaking in lessons, or to adults.”
- “Pupils do not get enough chances to build their confidence and skill through practice.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 17 November 2023 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 50% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 46.6 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | D+ | B- |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 13 first-preference applications, 17 offers in total, 13 offers to first-preference applicants.
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 142 first-preference applications, 199 offers in total, 142 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby special, independent and other schools
Straight-line distance, in Essex.
- Cambian Great Dunmow School 1.1 mi No Ofsted grade
- Felsted School 3.9 mi No Ofsted grade
- Howe Green House School 7.4 mi No Ofsted grade
- The Edith Borthwick School 7.9 mi No Ofsted grade
- The Belsteads School 9.0 mi No Ofsted grade
- Lift Columbus 9.9 mi No Ofsted grade
- The Beaulieu Park School 10.4 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- The Sir Geoff Hurst Academy 10.4 mi No Ofsted grade