Oldham residents have called plans to open a selective sixth form in Oldham, backed by Eton College, a ‘kick in the teeth’.

A partnership between Eton College and Star Academies, the new college was approved by the Department for Education alongside Eton Star Dudley and Eton Star Teesside earlier this week.

The plans have been supported by Oldham Council, with leader Arooj Shah saying she was ‘thrilled’ that the Government had backed the proposals.

The boys-only Eton College, founded in the 1400s, boasts alumni including Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister; George Orwell, David Cameron, Boris Johnson, as well as Princes William and Harry.

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Fees for the prestigious school are a whopping £49,998 for the 2023/24 academic year – more than twice the median annual salary for someone living in Oldham.

The college is a registered charity, meaning it enjoys a tax discount. The school received a total income of more than £100 million in the last financial year, according to the Charity Commission.

The planned sixth form in Oldham will be free to attend, and will receive additional funding of £1 million per year from the prestigious private school.

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Social media reaction to the news was mostly negative.

Jean Friend said: “Give the money to state schools. We don’t need in Oldham the system that produces the likes of Boris Johnson.”

Jeremy M.T. Sutcliffe echoed the sentiments, writing: “Council endorsement of this is a kick in the teeth for Oldham's existing and successful sixth form providers. It's a tick box exercise to make Eton look good.”

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Richard Dowd commented: “Do people really believe Eton have a ‘special’ way of teaching? Just creaming off the most able and claiming success. If state schools were funded as well as Eton we would have revolutionary change. ‘They’ don’t want that.”

Dee Johnson called for more investment elsewhere, adding: “We already have a first-class sixth form college. We need more investment in early years education to counter disadvantage in our town.”

However, not everyone was so negative.

Gordon Bennett commented: “I'm not sure if it's the weather that creates the negativity or the fact electricity only recently arrived, but when you read these comments you realise why people probably don't invest in Oldham.”