Eton Star Sixth Form: Oldham

11. What her planned timetable is for making a decision on the proposed Eton Star sixth-form college in Oldham.

In 2017, the Government’s spending watchdog estimated that free schools would create 57,500 surplus places. This Government took the sensible, pragmatic decision to pause a number of proposed free schools due to real concerns about value for money. We recognise the need for clarity, and we will provide a substantive update on this project and others in the mainstream pipeline review very soon.

The previous Government announced the free schools for sixth-formers programme over two years ago. It is now over a year since this Government announced a review of that programme, meaning that the local authority, alongside parents and other sixth-form providers, has been waiting over two years to find out whether Eton Star sixth-form college will go ahead. Can I urge the Government to give clarity on that programme before Christmas?

Of course, that deals with academic education, but vocational education in my town is important too. Can I ask the Government to pay some attention to the mismatch between apprenticeship vacancies and when children are leaving school? So few vacancies are advertised in July and August; the highest number of vacancies is in February, six months after young people have left school. Surely there is a mismatch?

Maybe they all go straight to university.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point. As somebody who was a teacher in Oldham, I know many of the institutions he is referring to, and I particularly know about the great work that is done by Oldham sixth-form college and the secondary schools in his constituency. We want to make sure that where we are spending significant sums on capital investment, which the Budget and the spending review allow us to do, it reflects the Government’s priorities around special educational needs and extra school places. We want to get that right, and we will provide an update very soon to my hon. Friend and others.