All three of Eton College’s proposed flagship “elite” sixth forms, run in partnership with Star Academies to “level up” left behind areas, are being reviewed by the new Labour government.
FE Week understands that all three of the “elite” 16 to 19 schools due to open in Dudley, Teesside and Oldham are part of a review of whether 44 planned mainstream free schools offer value for money.
The government has so far refused to confirm which projects are affected.
The three sixth forms, proposed by a partnership between the £52,000-a-year Eton and multi-academy trust Star Academies, were given the green light last summer.
The “high-quality, academic-focused” 16 to 19 free schools were due to open in education investment areas (EIAs) as part of the former government’s levelling up white paper.
An Eton Star partnership spokesperson said the “review does not come as a huge surprise given the current fiscal situation, and we intend to fully engage with this process”.
It remained “completely committed” to the plans, which would “transform the lives of very many young people across the country”.
DfE to speak to affected trusts and councils
Department for Education officials will speak to affected academy trusts and councils as part of the review.
Assessments will be based on whether the proposed schools meet a need for places in the area, if they have “any impact on existing local providers”, and whether the schools would provide a “distinctive curriculum”.
Arooj Shah, the leader of Oldham council, said the plans would make a difference “to the lives of children and young people in Oldham and we’ll continue to make this case to the government”.
A Middlesborough Council spokesperson said its officers were continuing to meet with the DfE and Eton Star. Dudley Council did not comment.
Labour councillor Philippa Storey, Middlesborough’s education lead, said another sixth form “where we don’t necessarily need one” would drain existing services.
But Conservative councillor Mieka Smiles told Teesside Live she was “absolutely dismayed” by the pause, adding: “This pathetic decision by the education secretary is just another example of her war on aspiration.”
The review into Eton’s proposed schools comes as Labour refuses to back down over plans to introduce VAT on private school fees from January.
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