Cambian Great Dunmow School
Unit 13, Flitch Industrial Estate, Chelmsford Road, Great Dunmow, Great Dunmow, CM6 1XJOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Cambian Great Dunmow School is a special school in Great Dunmow for ages 11 to 19. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 16 September 2025, report published 9 November 2025
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 16 September 2025
Pupils achieve well at school. They join having previously experienced disruption to their education. Pupils value how staff take the time to get to know them as an individual. Staff provide the support pupils need to turn their attitudes to learning around. Staff skilfully help pupils to manage their feelings and emotions. Approaches to behaviour are underpinned by strong relationships. This all starts in the morning, where pupils are greeted warmly by staff before settling into breakfast and a chat with their key worker. This sets pupils up well for the day ahead. Pupils are motivated to learn. They work hard and show resilience. This helps them to achieve the high expectations that staff have of them. Pupils value the new and exciting opportunities the school offers them. Prefects and older pupils are proud to be positive role models. The curriculum is well supported by an ever-expanding range of enrichment activities. Pupils love attending these in school and when learning off site. Whether studying car mechanics, taking part in parkour, or learning how to ski, pupils are inspired to learn new skills. These experiences also help to spark interests in pupils for life after Cambian Great Dunmow.
What the school should improve
- Teaching strategies to support pupils' writing development across subjects are not as consistently matched to pupils' needs as they could be. This limits the depth and accuracy of pupils written work. The school should ensure staff have the required expertise to develop pupils' writing effectively.
- Some of the careers curriculum is at an early stage of implementation. While pupils benefit from some useful careers guidance, this does not consistently provide them with the depth of information they need to inform future choices. The school should ensure that careers education is fully embedded. This is so pupils are better supported to identify and transition to appropriate next stages.
Pupil numbers and mix
15 pupils on roll, with places for 25
Schools near Cambian Great Dunmow School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Edith Borthwick School | 8 miles | Report card: Expected standard | 0% met the expected standard |
| The Belsteads School | 8 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Lift Columbus | 9 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
| White Trees Independent School | 9 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 4.3 |
| The Sir Geoff Hurst Academy | 9 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Other independent special school
- Sector
- Independent
- Age range
- 11 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Ms Carrie-Ann Gibbs
- Phone
- 01371705623
- Address
- Unit 13, Flitch Industrial Estate, Chelmsford Road, Great Dunmow, Great Dunmow, CM6 1XJ
- Local authority
- Essex
- URN
- 149357
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.