Builders of a new Dunmow school are set to be given the go-ahead soon with the headteacher "awaiting imminent announcement" of the construction company that will take on the project. 

Plans have progressed for the new Helena Romanes School off Stortford Road in Dunmow. The school is set to move from its current site in Parsonage Downs and has been using a number of temporary buildings for teaching.

The primary school’s construction is expected to start in September 2024 with plans to have it ready for the start of the school year in September 2025.

The secondary school element of the all-through school is planned to take its first students in October 2026.

Catherine Davis, executive headteacher, said: "The delivery and timing of the project and release of information pertaining to it, remains totally under the purview of the Department for Education.

"However, we can confirm that we are working with the Department for Education and Essex County Council in this endeavour and that the Department for Education, more specifically the Schools Rebuilding Program, is managing this project.

"We can also confirm that land for the new school has been purchased and that the trust has been instructed to sell the land on the existing site and hand all proceeds over to the Secretary of State for Education.

"It is our understanding that the primary school will be built first then followed by the secondary school and we are awaiting the imminent announcement of who the building contractor will be."

It comes after Essex County Council agreed to spend £9.9m towards creating the new school. The funding consisted of £9.9m from the council, of which £6.5m was from developer contributions. A further £3.6m in contributions is expected to follow.

Essex County Council had initially planned for a new school to be ready in Dunmow by September 2021 as part of plans to provide extra primary school provision for the rapidly growing town.

However, planning permission for the new all-through school was now granted by Essex County Council until April 2021.

The permission allows the relocation and reprovision of the Helena Romanes school from its existing site, where planning permission has been granted for residential development.