Eton College has announced that it will be opening three selective academic sixth form free schools in northern England – and one of them is in Oldham.
The three new post-16 colleges – the other two set to open in Dudley and Middlesborough – are said to be being designed to help give young people in the area who have done well in their GCSEs the opportunity to achieve the A-Levels they need to go to Oxbridge and other elite universities across the world.
Each of the areas are included in the list of of 55 education “cold spots” targeted for additional support by the UK government’s ‘Levelling Up’ plan.
According to Oldham Council, Eton College and its partner Star Academies are intending to bid in the next wave of the Department for Education’s Free School Programme to open the sixth forms – a process that is expected to get underway in the next few months, with a hope that the institutions can welcome their first students as soon as 2025.
If these bids are successful, the new colleges will be part of Star Academies – which runs both primary and secondary schools in communities facing “significant challenges”, including in the North West.
The co-educational sixth form in Oldham would have access to some of Eton’s best teachers, its clubs, and its speaker events, and Eton will also help students to prepare for university applications and interviews, as well as being invited to take part in a summer residential at the £44,000-a-year private Berkshire college itself.
The Oldham college’s small size will allow it to target a very specific academic education, and will ensure that they do not disrupt the existing pattern of local post-16 education, Oldham Council said.
When it comes to the admissions policy – which has been designed in conjunction with University College London’s Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities – this will be developed to specifically-target young people who would most benefit on an ongoing basis.
The Oldham college is expected to admit 240 students per year.
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Speaking on the “exciting” plans and ahead of the bid to the Free School Programme, Cllr Arooj Shah – Leader of Oldham Council – said: “My first and foremost responsibility is to fight for Oldham and draw in support and investment from every corner, and I’ll work across political and ideological divides to make that happen.
“For a young person growing up in Oldham, this is really exciting news, and comes after a lot of hard work behind the scenes with Eton, and with Star, to make this fantastic idea a reality.”
Eton College has announced that it will be opening three selective academic sixth form free schools in northern England / Credit: Oldham Council
She continued: “This new sixth form will open up world-class academic opportunities for Oldham’s young people – providing an unrivalled educational experience that will enable every child, wherever they live and whatever their background, to fulfil their potential.
“Together with the outstanding Sixth Form College, school sixth forms and Oldham College, we are a family which recognises we have a generational responsibility to invest in young people so they realise their full potential.
“This project will improve opportunities and education outcomes for not just the families who live here now, but for generations to come.”
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Simon Henderson – Head Master of Eton – added: “Our partnership with Star Academies is intended to ensure that the success of the project is greater than the sum of its parts [and] while our contexts may be different, our values are aligned and together we are committed, for the long-term, to sharing our educational vision and delivering outstanding educational opportunities to young people in these areas.”
Star Academies chief executive Sir Hamid Patel said that the colleges would have a “wider, positive impact throughout the community of Oldham”.
Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Police release footage of Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest by hiding under a bed
Emily Sergeant
Police have released unseen footage of a Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest and justice by hiding under a bed.
David Dale Thompson, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (18 March) where he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of residential burglary at an earlier hearing.
The 43-year-old was caught early last year (15 January 2025) following proactive patrols by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) neighbourhood officers across Rusholme and Moss Side, who were in the area due to a high number of reports of burglaries in the weeks prior.
While on patrol, police spotted Thompson ‘acting suspiciously’ while riding a bike just before 5pm, and once officer subsequently followed him to a property on Boscombe Street, before calling for more officers to attend.
After gaining entry to the address, officers suspected something was wrong when they entered one of the rooms, and after lifting up the bed, they found Thompson hiding in the storage compartment attempting to evade arrest.
GMP has now released footage of the moment Thompson was caught.
Speaking following Thompson’s sentencing last week, Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, of GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “This was a fantastic example of proactive policing, which has resulted in a serial offender now behind bars.
“We know how devastating a burglary in your own home can be and this shows our commitment to tackling them head on.
“If you have any information or concerns about neighbourhood crime in your area, make sure you speak to us. In the meantime, we have officers on regular patrols in areas that need us the most.”
Emily Sergeant -
11th March 2022 
