The preferred site for Eton Star Oldham at the former Tommyfield Market has been formally agreed with the Department for Education, with development to begin next year.
The agreement of Heads of Terms for the land allocation marks a significant step in bringing the partnership between Eton and Star Academies to Oldham.
Oldham Council has said building will start on the former Tommyfield outdoor market site next year.
Eton Star Oldham will look to support young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, by providing access to high-quality education.
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Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Council, said: “This is fantastic news for Oldham and, most importantly, for the children and young people who will benefit from this opportunity.
“Eton Star Oldham is about raising aspirations and ensuring that talent and potential are recognised wherever they are found.
“I am particularly proud that this project will open doors for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, giving them access to opportunities that can truly change lives.
“This is another step forward in our ambition to make Oldham a place where every young person can succeed and thrive.”
Simon Henderson, Headmaster of Eton College, and Sir Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said:
“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.
"Having such a central site supports us to have the biggest possible impact, leveraging funds and networks from the town, Greater Manchester, the wider region, Eton College and Star Academies - and to offer incredible educational opportunities to both the college's students and local school-aged young people."
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The project has divided opinion since it was first announced, with opposition councillors questioning the scheme, along with the Oldham branch of the National Education Union (NEU).
Nigel Yeo, the joint district secretary for the NEU in Oldham, said in 2024: “In the end, it is no more than a marketing ploy.
"The new school will never be like Eton but it will have profound detrimental effects on the provision of sixth form education in Oldham.
"The borough neither needs it nor wants it."
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