The Department of Education has given the green light for a new sixth form school to be built on the site of Tommyfield Outdoor Market in Oldham. The approval of a ‘Heads of Terms’ agreement means the land, used by outdoor traders for almost 240 years, could be transformed into a college aimed at helping bright but underprivileged students from the area secure places at top universities.

Tommyfield Market, named after 18th-century pig-breeder Thomas Whitaker, has been a trading ground in Oldham for centuries. The outdoor stallholders are due to relocate to a new space on George Street later this year, leaving their former site vacant. If a full contract is signed, the land could be bulldozed to make way for the Eton Star College, a unique educational venture managed by Star Academies and financially supported by a £1m kickstarter from Eton College, the prestigious school that educated figures like Boris Johnson and Prince William.

Oldham Council Leader, Councillor Arooj Shah, welcomed the news, stating: “This is fantastic news for Oldham and, most importantly, for the children and young people who will benefit from this opportunity.” Simon Henderson, Headmaster of Eton College, and Sir Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, added in a joint statement: “We are delighted to sign Heads of Terms for the Tommyfield market site and are thrilled that the new Eton Star College will be so central to Oldham’s regeneration. The college will offer young people from Oldham and surrounding areas a new alternative for their post-16 education, and one optimised for the specific needs of disadvantaged young people with academic talent. Its defining mission will be for many of our students to secure places at the world’s very best universities.”

While the government has formally approved the terms, the land has not yet officially changed hands. Both parties must still agree on a sale or lease contract. However, the approval means the site does not need to be offered on the public market or through a procurement exercise, which is standard for disposing of council-owned land. Once a full contract is signed and planning permission is granted, construction on the school can begin.

The project has faced criticism from local economic and education experts. Concerns have been raised that the town centre land could be used in ways that bring higher economic benefits to Oldham. Additionally, there are fears that the new school will ‘cherry-pick’ high-achieving students from surrounding colleges, potentially affecting their ability to fund and offer A-Level courses. The heads of Eton and Star Academies have previously stated their intention to ‘work with’ local schools to mitigate these concerns.

Despite the controversies, the council and education leaders remain optimistic about the project’s potential. The Eton Star College aims to provide a new opportunity for post-16 education in Oldham, focusing on academic excellence and social mobility. The next steps involve finalising the legal agreements and securing planning permission, which will determine the future of the Tommyfield Market site and its role in Oldham’s regeneration.