# Bilborough College

Bilborough Sixth Form College is a sixth-form college in Nottingham, England. The college has students from across the conurbation. A third of its students come from Nottingham, another third from the surrounding county of Nottinghamshire, and a final third from Derbyshire. The majority of students study at the college for two years.

## History

Opened in 1957 as Bilborough Grammar School, the school became a sixth-form college in 1975 when Nottingham's education system became comprehensive. The college has grown from 635 students to 1600 full-time students enrolled to be attending the college in September 2016.
The new accommodations opened officially on 21 July, 2006. The new building is divided into 3 blocks (A, B, and C), and 4 floors (0-3). The new building has a photographic lab, lecture theatre, theatre, shop, refectory, large art rooms, library, and "soundproof" music rooms. The development, designed by CPMG Architects, has won a design award from the local civic society, and has received the Lord Mayor of Nottingham's Award for Urban Design.

## Curriculum

The curriculum is based on A-level provision with the option for some BTEC qualifications. The college offers students the opportunity to study a wide variety of subjects.

### A Level

| Visual and Performing Arts | Social Science | Language and Communication | Professional Studies | Science and PE | Mathematics and Computing | Extended Studies |
| Art | Ethics, Philosophy and Religion | English Language | Business Studies | Chemistry | Further Mathematics | Trinity Acting |
| Dance | Geography | English Literature | Law | Electronics | Mathematical Studies | Extended Project Qualification |
| Drama and Theatre Studies | Government and Politics | French | | Physical Education | Mathematics | |
| Film Studies | History | German | | Physics | Computer Science | |
| Media Studies | Psychology | Spanish | | Biology | | |
| Music | Sociology | | | | | |
| Music Technology | Criminology | | | | | |
| Photography | Economics | | | | | |
| Product Design | | | | | | |

### BTEC

The college offers BTEC qualifications across the following areas:
* Performing Arts
* Information Technology
* Creative Digital Media Production
* Business
* Sport
* Applied Science

### International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate was taught at the college from 2009 to 2016 and celebrated some of the best national results, including three 40+ scores.

## Academic performance

Bilborough College students have had A-level pass rates exceeding 98% since 2004, with 27 of the subjects on offer reaching pass rates of 100%. Twenty-five per cent of entries achieved A*- A, 3% more than the previous year, while over 50% achieved grades A*-B.
The most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2020, found the college rated as “good” in all categories by inspectors. The college was also rated good in the previous inspection in 2016.

## Alumni

* Tom Blyth, actor (2011-)
* Rosalie Craig, theatre and musical actress
* Richard Leafe, Chief Executive since 2007 of the Lake District National Park Authority (1981-83)
* Janey Lee Grace, radio presenter (1976-78)
* Grace Hodgett Young, actress
* Alice Levine, DJ and presenter (2002-04)
* Nadia Whittome, British Labour Politician, MP for Nottingham East since 2019 (2012-14)
* Anisah Osman Britton MBE, founder of 23CodeStreet and reporter at Sifted
* Molly Windsor, actress and winner of the 2018 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress
* Raquel Martinez, famous for not commiting the disservice of reducing oneself to a single description or characteristic.

### Bilborough Grammar School

* Rosie Barnes (née Allen), former SDP MP from 1987-92, and also her husband Graham Barnes (1957-64)
* Dame Judith Rees, Director from 2011-12 of the London School of Economics, and President from 2012-15 of the Royal Geographical Society (1955-62)