Free school names its head

Newman College deputy head teacher Liz Mitchell will be principal of Oldham’s first free school.

Collective Spirit — a “faith sensitive secondary” — will open with 60 Year Seven pupils this September — though its venue is still to be chosen.

Mrs Mitchell was a deputy head at St Augustine’s, Werneth, which merged with Our Lady’s, Royton, in September 2011, to create Newman College.

A statement from Collective Spirit says: “Liz is an accomplished senior leader with an in-depth understanding of Oldham, its communities and most importantly its young people.”

Mrs Mitchell did not want to comment until Newman governors had been officially told of her appointment.

Free schools are state-funded and run by a range of organisations with greater freedoms than other schools.

Collective Spirit will be non-denominational, with pupils learning from and about different religions.