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.
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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.
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
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)