THE ‘new’ school would be governed by The Keys Federation Multi-Academy Trust, the head office of which is in Wigan.

The trust said it prided itself in “unlocking potential”. The University Collegiate School is the newest 11-19 school in the trust.

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Sharon Bruton, the trust’s CEO, said: “We are delighted that we will be welcoming our first Year 7 students in September 2020.

“We have worked together as a family of schools for 10 years and are excited to establish a partnership in Bolton and build on the recent progress at the UTC school.

“In working in partnership to secure an Ofsted ‘good’ rating, we aim to continue to build on the successes the excellent staff have achieved at Sixth Form with A-level results, rating them the highest school for progress in Bolton and in the top 53 post-16 providers in the country.”

UTC Bolton opened with modern facilities, including state-of-the art science labs and technology rooms for students to use in Key Stage Four and Five.

This was because it was designed to focus on the STEM ­— science, technology, engineering and maths ­— subjects, and fields in which young people could carve out a career.

She added: “We have a vision for education with technology at its heart which will allow us to engage in a new era of secondary school learning and support students to acquire knowledge, develop life skills, secure personal resilience as well as engage in critical thinking.

“As an award-winning digital innovator, our schools use Artificial Intelligence in learning to support the core foundations of knowledge, combined with a blend of excellence in subject expertise and on-site facilities.

“The University Collegiate School is placed at the heart of the Knowledge Campus and works in partnership with the University of Bolton and industry leading companies.

“Students will learn in an ethos where we blend traditional values, manners, courtesy and respect with innovation for the future. Together we will ensure our students thrive in an environment of opportunity and are equipped to succeed in life, learning and work.”

UTCs opened to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.

They were opened in areas of high skills demand and work with over 400 employers and universities to provide direct pathways into careers across a range of industry.

Although the University Collegiate School will operate as a school, it will continue to capitalise on UTC strengths and links to help young people after school life.