Greater Manchester University Technical College

The Greater Manchester University Technical College, branded as "The GM", was a University Technical College in Oldham, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. The college specialised in sustainable and civil engineering[2] and opened in September 2014. Owing to low pupil numbers and poor pupil attainment, the college closed less than three years later at the end of the 2016–17 academic year.

The Greater Manchester University Technical College
Address
Middleton Road

Oldham
,
Greater Manchester
,
OL9 6DE

England
Coordinates53.5423°N 2.1214°W / 53.5423; -2.1214
Information
TypeUniversity technical college [1]
Established2014
Closed2017
Department for Education URN140542 Tables
Age14 to 19
Websitehttp://www.thegm.co.uk/

History

The GM was sponsored by the University of Bolton and by Michael Dwan, a director of Bright Tribe Trust. A new building was constructed on Middleton Road next to Oldham College at a cost of £9m, and it cost a further £5m to run.[3] The college opened in September 2014.[4] Its first principal and chief executive officer was Chris Hill, formerly an education officer at Oldham Council.[2]

It closed less than three years later in July 2017 having failed to attract students, and failing to get a significant number of students a pass grade in GCSE Maths and English; in the summer of 2016 there were none.[5] The school had a Progress 8 score of -2.51 placing it in the "well below average" category for pupil attainment.

Future of the site

The site was later used by Oasis Academy Oldham to educate Year 7 pupils who do not have a secured school place.[6] It was reported that up to £150,000 would first be spent to make the building safe and structurally sound. The building, which was maintained by Blue Support Services, another of Dwan's companies, had missing fire doors and malfunctioning lifts. Some fire doors were missing entirely, others were defective, and fire sealants were faulty; there were loose wall panels, electrical and mechanical faults, and lifts that were broken.[3]

Dwan had applied in 2016, before the UTC closed, to open a government-funded free school next to the building. The application was declined by the Department for Education.[3]

References
  1. "Greater Manchester Sustainable Engineering UTC - GOV.UK". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. "Former head is UTC principal". Oldham Chronicle. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  3. Williams, Jennifer (16 November 2017). "Failed £14m school is STILL costing taxpayers months after it was shut". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. Williams, Jennifer (26 April 2018). "Sponsor of failed £14m college asked government to fund SECOND school on site". men. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  5. Weale, Sally (7 February 2017). "£9m Greater Manchester college closes after three years due to lack of pupils". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  6. "Ex-college site set for Year 7 pupils". Oldham Chronicle. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
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