'Eton of the north to give OF kids a chance

THE new Eton Star College will remove barriers' for youngsters previously unlikely to have the opportunity of a university education, the borough's council leader has said.

- CHRIS GEE

Earlier this week, the government gave approval for the remarkable expansion of the elite boarding school Eton to open a sixth form college for 480 students in the centre of Oldham.

Eton, in conjunction with state school trust Star Academies and Oldham Council plan to open up the college by 2026. The world-famous boarding school will also sponsor identically sized sixth forms in Dudley and Middlesbrough.

Eton has promised to invest £lm per year, on top of the government's own funding as well as supply curriculum and teaching support to Star Academies. Reacting to the announcement, Oldham's council leader Arooj Shah said the college would unlock opportunities previously unavailable to those in the borough.

She said: "It's not about having the brightest students in terms of GCSE results. We already have a very good sixth form provision in Oldham.