Mixed reaction as Eton Star college is axed

PLANS for a new college in Middlesbrough have been booted out, after being paused for over a year.

- By DANIEL HODGSON

The proposed free sixth form for 480 students, led by Eton College and Star Academies, was first announced in 2022, with the previous Conservative government giving the proposals the green light in 2023.

In October, it was reported that plans were still on hold, a year after the initial "pause" was announced.

When contacted at the time, an Eton Star Partnership spokesperson said they were "fully committed" to Eton Star Teesside.

The decision came after the government launched a review into whether the new mainstream schools offered value for money.

Opinion has been split on the project, with local Tories wholeheartedly advocating the free-to-attend college, with Labour politicians cooler towards the proposals.

The difference in views has never been clearer than now, with a "minded to cancel" decision finally being made, more than three-and-a-half years after the project was initially announced, and beyond the date that it was once hoped the first cohort of students would be welcomed.

The government's decision means that 28 out of the 44 free schools that went under review last year are now set for the axe. However, the other two planned Eton Star colleges in Dudley and Oldham are to go ahead.