Misplaced Pages

Connell Co-op College is a Sixth Form College in the Beswick Hub development, Manchester. Run by the Co-op Academies Trust and formerly the Bright Futures Educational Trust (BFET), the college is located on the Etihad Campus training ground built by Manchester City Football Club as part of their redevelopment plans. The college is named after the Connell family, who were active in their local community in the 1880s and who created the church youth team, which eventually morphed into the Premier League side. The college also serves the secondary purpose of educating members of their youth team, who will be allocated some places to complete their secondary education.

In addition to teaching the customary range of A-Level courses, the college also offers BTECs in business, science, and sport science.

History

The sixth form college was one of three new free schools to be approved by Education Minister Michael Gove in July 2012, when the name of the educational facility was revealed to be Connell Co-op College, a tribute to the Connell family of Gorton, who founded Manchester City F.C. (in its first incarnation as a church youth team) in the latter part of the 19th century. The announcement also unveiled the link between the new college and Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, which proposed the initiative and had been asked to handle the management and recruitment of staff. Later the same year, Manchester City Football Club announced that the area around the college was to be part of a larger redevelopment, with commercial space as well as community leisure facilities.

In July 2018, the college planned to leave Bright Futures Educational Trust (BFET) after government intervention in 2017. Education bosses have been looking for a suitable trust to take over the college. The Co-op Academies Trust has been chosen to run the college. The Co-op Academies Trust bosses say there are no plans to make any roles redundant at the college as a result of the re-brokerage.

Notable alumni

• Sophie Capewell, cyclist
• Ellie Roebuck, Manchester City and England association football goalkeeper

References

1. ^ "Connell Sixth Form College". Altrincham Girls' Grammar School. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
2. "Gove names next round of free schools". Place North West. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
3. "Exclusive: First images of how Manchester City's Etihad Campus could look". Manchester Evening News. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
4. "Connell Sixth Form College to be taken over by the Co-op Academies Trust". Manchester Evening News. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
5. Packer, Phil. "Great Britain Track Cyclist and World Championship medallist, Sophie Capewell, joins the BRIT Family". The Brit Challenge. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
6. Whyatt, Katie (5 June 2021). "My game in my words – By Ellie Roebuck". New York Times. Retrieved 5 August 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Connell Sixth Form College on Facebook

• Manchester City F.C.
• Sixth form colleges in Greater Manchester
• Educational institutions established in 2013
• 2013 establishments in England