Helena Romanes School

General Information

Address: Parsonage Downs, Great Dunmow, CM6 2AU
Phone: 01371872560
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Ms Catherine Davis
Age range: 4-18 years
Sixth form: Yes
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: None
Number of pupils: 1265
School capacity: 1593
Pupils eligible for free school meals: 206
% eligible for free school meals: 18.1%
Nursery provision: No

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Behaviour information for this school has not been added yet.

Attendance

Overall absence: 10.3%
Persistently absent pupils: 29.4%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

SEN provision information for this school has not been added yet.

Pupils on SEN Support: 8.5%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 1.8%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Social, emotional and mental health: 32 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 27 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 15 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 11 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 9 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Specific learning difficulty: 8 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 5 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 3 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 2 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 2 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

–

School Ethos

–

Ability to Deal with Problems

–

Headteacher Approval

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Would recommend –

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Educational Attainment

Good 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Educational attainment data for this school has not been added yet.

View full Ofsted inspection report

Ranked #14 of 28 Ofsted Rating schools of this type in the area

#12Great Easton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#13Great Sampford Community Primary SchoolGood
#14Helena Romanes SchoolGood
#15Manuden Primary SchoolGood
#16Newport Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

#1Ashdon Primary SchoolGood
#2Bentfield Primary School and NurseryGood
#3Birchanger Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#4Chrishall Holy Trinity and St Nicholas CofE (Aided) Primary School and Pre-SchoolGood
#5Clavering Primary SchoolGood
#6Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary AcademyGood
#7Dunmow St Mary's Primary SchoolGood
#8Farnham Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#9Felsted Primary SchoolGood
#10Great Chesterford Church of England Primary AcademyGood
#11Great Dunmow Primary SchoolGood
#12Great Easton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#13Great Sampford Community Primary SchoolGood
#14Helena Romanes SchoolGood
#15Manuden Primary SchoolGood
#16Newport Primary SchoolGood
#17Radwinter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#18Rodings Primary SchoolGood
#19Roseacres Primary SchoolGood
#20St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#21St Mary's CofE Foundation Primary SchoolGood
#22St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron WaldenGood
#23Stebbing Primary SchoolGood
#24Takeley Primary SchoolGood
#25Thaxted Primary SchoolGood
#26The Flitch Green AcademyGood
#27Wimbish Primary AcademyGood
#28St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hatfield Broad OakRequires improvement

Financials

Financial summary information for this school has not been added yet.

Spending per pupil: £6,969 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

Ranked #16 of 34 Spending Per Pupil schools of this type in the area

#14St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden£7,067
#15The Flitch Green Academy£6,974
#16Helena Romanes School£6,969
#17Manuden Primary School£6,652
#18Clavering Primary School£6,535

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

#1Wimbish Primary Academy£17,367
#2Farnham Church of England Primary School£15,360
#3St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hatfield Broad Oak£12,755
#4Ashdon Primary School£10,481
#5Bentfield Primary School and Nursery£10,428
#6Great Easton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£8,684
#7Birchanger Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£8,341
#8Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£8,067
#9Great Sampford Community Primary School£7,745
#10Radwinter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£7,354
#11Stebbing Primary School£7,328
#12Chrishall Holy Trinity and St Nicholas CofE (Aided) Primary School and Pre-School£7,303
#13Newport Primary School£7,138
#14St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden£7,067
#15The Flitch Green Academy£6,974
#16Helena Romanes School£6,969
#17Manuden Primary School£6,652
#18Clavering Primary School£6,535
#19Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School£6,483
#20St Mary's CofE Foundation Primary School£6,430
#21Thaxted Primary School£6,360
#22Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy£6,310
#23Felsted Primary School£6,275
#24Rodings Primary School£6,166
#25Great Chesterford Church of England Primary Academy£6,097
#26Great Dunmow Primary School£6,068
#27Dunmow St Mary's Primary School£5,973
#28Elsenham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£5,918
#29Little Hallingbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£5,918
#30St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£5,866
#31Roseacres Primary School£5,739
#32Magna Carta Primary Academy£5,687
#33Hatfield Heath Primary School£5,558
#34Takeley Primary School£5,315

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)