Published: Wednesday, 23rd August 2023
Oldham Council, Eton College and Star Academies have welcomed the Department for Education’s decision, to approve plans to open a new free sixth form college in Oldham.
Eton Star Oldham will recruit dynamic young people who have had fewer opportunities and provide them with a rigorous and rounded education and support them to achieve places at the very best universities.
Students who attend will benefit from an education based on the best that is on offer at Eton and the best of Star Academies, which is, by many metrics, the highest-performing state school trust in the country.
Eton’s head master Simon Henderson said: “We are delighted by this decision. We believe Eton Star Oldham has the potential to be transformative both for the young people who attend but also for the wider communities it will serve. Now the hard work really starts as we turn our vision into reality.
“Collaborative partnership will be key to this project’s success and we are very grateful for the support we have had already from Oldham Council, from the local communities and from our colleagues in other educational settings.”
Star Academies chief executive Sir Hamid Patel CBE said: “This marks an exciting milestone in our partnership. We are confident that the Eton Star sixth forms will produce extraordinary, transformative outcomes, not only for their students but for the wider communities too.
“With a growing demand for sixth form places in these areas, we aim to enable more young people to benefit from a high-quality academic education and to broaden the opportunities available to them both during and after their sixth form studies.”
Councillor Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, said: “I’m thrilled that Government have backed the proposals for a new Eton College and Star Academies sixth form right here in the heart of Oldham.
“For a young person growing up in Oldham, this is really exciting news, as it will open up incredible academic opportunities that will help to enable every child, wherever they live and whatever their background, to fulfil their potential.
"This new sixth form will provide Oldham's young people with access to a truly world class education; with access to some of Eton’s best teachers, its clubs and its speaker events, as well as the chance to take part in a summer residential at Eton itself. This will give children who would never have had these opportunities the chance to shine and not just to fulfil their potential, but to experience things they would never have thought possible."
“Eton and Star both have an outstanding reputation in providing the very best education, which is just what Oldham’s young people deserve. That’s why I’m delighted that today we have taken a huge step forward in making this fantastic idea a reality.”