St Helen's Catholic Junior School, Brentwood
St Helen's Catholic Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Brentwood, part of St Helen's Catholic Junior School Academy. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 17 schools in Brentwood with published results, and 2,457th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Capacity
- 99% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Helen's Catholic Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at St Helen's Catholic Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 93% in reading and 89% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Helen's Catholic Junior School
Across Essex, 90% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Essex lodged 375 appeals against primary school offers; 241 reached a hearing and 31 succeeded (12.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Helen's Catholic Junior School are St Helen's Catholic Infant & Nursery School (under 0.1 miles, Good); St Thomas of Canterbury Church of England Aided Primary School, Brentwood (0.2 miles, Good, 82% reading, 78% maths); Shenfield St. Mary's Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 97% reading, 93% maths); and Larchwood Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 78% reading, 85% maths).
St Helen's Catholic Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
St Helen's Catholic Infant & Nursery SchoolSt Thomas of Canterbury Church of England Aided Primary School, BrentwoodShenfield St. Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolLarchwood Primary School
The trust
St Helen's Catholic Junior School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Who goes there
10.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 35 pupils (10.2%) received SEN support and 8 (2.3%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brentwood Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Helen's School (s-bound), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Helen's Catholic Junior School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 210 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Helen's Catholic Junior School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Helen's Catholic Junior School are Becket Keys Church of England Free School (0.1 miles), Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School (0.8 miles), Brentwood County High School (0.9 miles) and Shenfield High School (1.3 miles).
Becket Keys Church of England Free SchoolBrentwood Ursuline Convent High SchoolBrentwood County High SchoolShenfield High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from July 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2013 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
10.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 93% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 92% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
28.9
KS2
8
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Helen's Catholic Junior School
Newsletter 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Newsletter 4th September 2026
4 Sep 2026
Newsletter 39 - 17th July 2026
17 Jul 2026
Newsletter 38 - 10th July 2026
10 Jul 2026
Newsletter 37 - 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Newsletter 36 - 26th June 2026
26 Jun 2026
From St Helen's Catholic Junior School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Helen's Catholic Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Helen's Catholic Junior School.
- St Helens (Brentwood) Wrap Around Care LTDAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Helen's Catholic Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Helen's Catholic Junior 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
3 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
365 pupils
369 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Brentwood
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Brentwood
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.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
35
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
12.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
344
Total Pupils
181
Boys
163
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
18.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,222
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1916k
Total funding
£65k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
9.4%
Persistent absence
372
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
Questions parents ask about St Helen's Catholic Junior School
What are SATs results like at St Helen's Catholic Junior School?
Of the pupils at St Helen's Catholic Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is St Helen's Catholic Junior School's Ofsted rating?
St Helen's Catholic Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Helen's Catholic Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When St Helen's Catholic Junior 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 St Helen's Catholic Junior School?
St Helen's Catholic Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Helen's Catholic Junior School?
Classes at St Helen's Catholic Junior School average 28.9 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Helen's Catholic Junior School?
St Helen's Catholic Junior School has around 344 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Helen's Catholic Junior School?
4% of sessions were missed at St Helen's Catholic Junior School in 2024/25. 9.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Helen's Catholic Junior School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Helen's Catholic Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does St Helen's Catholic Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: St Helens (Brentwood) Wrap Around Care LTD (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 St Helen's Catholic Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 3 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 St Helen's Catholic Junior School?
St Helen's Catholic Junior School is at Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9BY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)