Great Dunmow Primary School, Great Dunmow
Great Dunmow Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Great Dunmow. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 59th-highest of the 388 schools in Essex with published results, and 2,040th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Great Dunmow Primary School in detail
Great Dunmow Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Below you will find instructions on how to add calendars from different platforms: Our compulsory school day hours for pupils are Monday to Friday 8.50am to 3.20pm"
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Great Dunmow Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (85% in reading, 92% in maths).
Getting a place at Great Dunmow Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 76 families put Great Dunmow Primary School as their first choice and 163 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 16 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Great Dunmow Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Great Dunmow Primary School are Dunmow St Mary's Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 72% reading, 78% maths); Great Easton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 68% maths); Takeley Primary School (2.9 miles, Good, 86% reading, 84% maths); and Stebbing Primary School (3 miles, Good, 69% reading, 77% maths).
Great Dunmow Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Dunmow St Mary's Primary SchoolGreat Easton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolTakeley Primary SchoolStebbing Primary School
What parents say
133 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Great Dunmow Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 89% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (89%).
Who goes there
8.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 37 pupils (8.8%) received SEN support and 10 (2.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Great Dunmow Primary School.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Staggs Farm (opposite), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Great Dunmow Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Great Dunmow Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from April 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at creating a caring, inclusive environment where children feel valued and supported. Reading is a major strength, with expert teaching that builds confidence and a genuine love of books from an early age. The school offers exceptional opportunities for personal development, including real-world experiences like visiting Parliament and taking on meaningful responsibilities that help pupils understand important values.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and attitudes - pupils are well-behaved and proud of their school
- Strong reading programme with consistent phonics teaching from Reception Year
- Ambitious, well-structured curriculum with clear progression from Reception to Year 6
- Exceptional personal development programme including visits to Parliament and responsibility roles
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs
Areas for Improvement
- Checking what pupils know and remember in some wider curriculum subjects is not always effective
- Staff need to pick up on mistakes and misconceptions more quickly in some subjects
- Pupils' achievement in some curriculum subjects is not as high as in maths and English
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with appropriate systems in place to protect pupils.
Extracurricular Activities
dodgeball, gardening, cookery club, sporting competitions, breakfast club, after-school club
Great Dunmow Primary School is a happy, inclusive school where pupils flourish and behaviour is exemplary. The school provides a broad curriculum with strong emphasis on reading and has ambitious plans across all subjects.
At a Glance
8.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
133 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 89% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.1
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.1
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Great Dunmow Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Great Dunmow Primary School.
- Forbesy CampsAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Great Dunmow Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Great Dunmow Primary School is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Great Dunmow Primary School
Will you get a place at Great Dunmow Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Great Dunmow Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Great Dunmow Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Great Dunmow Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Great Dunmow Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
423 pupils
420 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Great Dunmow
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Great Dunmow
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
11.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
421
Total Pupils
233
Boys
188
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
21.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,502
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,991
Per pupil
£2274k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
7.1%
Persistent absence
366
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Great Dunmow Primary School
Questions parents ask about Great Dunmow Primary School
What are SATs results like at Great Dunmow Primary School?
Of the pupils at Great Dunmow Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is Great Dunmow Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Great Dunmow Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Great Dunmow Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Great Dunmow Primary School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Great Dunmow Primary School?
Great Dunmow Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Great Dunmow Primary School?
Classes at Great Dunmow Primary School average 30.1 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Great Dunmow Primary School?
Great Dunmow Primary School has around 421 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Great Dunmow Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Great Dunmow Primary School in 2024/25. 7.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Great Dunmow Primary School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Great Dunmow Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Great Dunmow Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Forbesy Camps (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Great Dunmow Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Great Dunmow Primary School?
Great Dunmow Primary School is at Walnut Walk, Woodlands Park Drive, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1ZR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)