Helena Romanes School
82%
Capacity
1,309
Pupils
1.9x
Demand
About Helena Romanes School
Helena Romanes School sits in Uttlesford under Essex County Council, a mixed all-through state school for pupils aged 4 to 18. In the local authority’s secondary landscape, it ranks 55th out of 86 same-type schools, placing it in the bottom half of Essex’s state secondaries. For context, the top-performing peers in the area are selective grammar schools: King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Colchester Royal Grammar School, and Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School, all of which post Progress 8 scores well above 1.0. Helena Romanes, by contrast, serves a broader intake, with 18% of its 1,309 pupils eligible for free school meals. The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, receiving 362 applications for 196 places, with 165 first-preference offers made. That demand suggests strong local confidence, even if its academic profile doesn’t match the selective giants nearby.
Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This is a clear improvement from its previous 2019 inspection, where overall effectiveness was Requires Improvement. At KS4, the Progress 8 score is -0.38, which is below the Essex local authority average of -0.18 and places the school in the bottom 50 nationally. Attainment 8 sits at 42.1, with 64.4% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths, but only 35% reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 37.9%, with 22.6% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. At KS5, the value-added score is -0.31, classed as below average, with an average points per entry of 29.09 (grade C). The best three A-levels average out at a C grade, with only 2.7% of students achieving AAB or higher.
The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, sports hall, tennis courts, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include hockey, gymnastics, cross country, martial arts, tennis, athletics, swimming, and netball, while clubs range from newspaper and gardening to drama, film, eco club, and debate. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With its all-through structure, oversubscribed status, and improving Ofsted rating, Helena Romanes suits families in Uttlesford who want a large, inclusive secondary with a sixth form, strong facilities, and a realistic academic profile that reflects its comprehensive intake.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Parsonage Downs, Great Dunmow, Uttlesford, CM6 2AU |
| Headteacher | Catherine Davis |
| Local Authority | Essex |
| Number of Pupils | 1,309 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.0% |
| School Capacity | 1,309 / 1,593 (82% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 Oct 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 16 Nov 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.38)
2407th of 3,141
Nationally
278th of 350
In East of England
4th of 4
In Uttlesford
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
33.1
'22/23
30.1
'23/24
29.1
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2343%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 207 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)43%
- FE college41%
- Not sustained6%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Employment4%
- Sixth form college1%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2349%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 57 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
3%
Russell Group
5%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)49%
- Employment30%
- Not sustained12%
- Further education2%
- Apprenticeship2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology14
- Sociology12
- English Language and Literature11
- Business Studies:Single10
- Law7
- Mathematics7
- Economics6
- Physics6
- Media/Film/Tv Studies5
- Biology4
- Computer Studies / Computing4
- Drama and Theatre Studies4
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed196
362
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
165 families put this school as their 1st choice (46% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British86.2%
- Mixed4.6%
- White (other)3.3%
- Asian2.3%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
3
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
2
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Helena Romanes School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Parsonage Downs, Great Dunmow
Uttlesford, CM6 2AU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Helena Romanes School!
Write a Review