Eton Star Oldham College Approved for Town Centre

Oldham will host one of the country's first Eton Star colleges after the government ended its national review and gave the scheme the green light. The town-centre campus, backed by Eton College and Star Academies, is pledged to open the same academic doors to every local teenager, regardless of postcode or family income.

Building will start on the Tommyfield Market car park, turning the familiar brownfield site beside the indoor market into a new secondary school. Council staff say the location keeps the college within walking distance of most bus and tram routes, while freeing up surrounding streets from school-run traffic.

Council leader Arooj Shah promised that design workshops and parent meetings will run through the winter, insisting the building must reflect what Oldham families want rather than outside assumptions. Architects have yet to publish drawings, but early talks will cover everything from uniform costs to community evening classes.

No opening date or pupil numbers have been released, and planners still need full planning permission and a highways agreement before work starts. Once those hurdles are cleared, construction is expected to take around two years, with the first intake arriving once builders hand the keys over.