10 best-known Nottingham faces who went to school in the city - including Vicky McClure and Paul Smith

Nottingham is home to many highly regarded educational institutions, and numerous famous faces have frequented the halls and corridors.

We’ve taken a look at some of the most prominent sports stars, actors, musicians and politicians who were educated here in the city.

From BAFTA-winning actress Vicky McClure to leading-run scoring cricketer Joe Root, here are 10 of the most famous people who went to school in Nottingham.

Vicky McClure

Vicky McClure, 39, from Wollaton, is an English actress, model and presenter best known for her roles as Detective Inspector Kate Fleming in the BBC series Line of Duty and Lol Jenkins in Shane Meadows’ film This Is England.

In 2012, Vicky won a BAFTA for Best Actress in her role as Lol Jenkins in This is England ‘86'.

She attended Fernwood school and the Central Junior Television Workshop, where she was coached and mentored by fellow Nottingham-born actress Samantha Morton.

Jake Bugg

Jake Bugg is a singer/songwriter who rose to fame in 2012 with his song Two Fingers, which reached 28 on the UK charts and was followed by his hit Lightning Bolt.

Jake was born in Nottingham on 28 February 1994 and grew up in Clifton, where he attended the Farnborough School Technology College.

Matthew Horne

Matthew Horne is an actor and comedian best known for being half of the comedy duo Horne and Corden with James Corden. He also played Gavin Shipman in the BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey.

Born on 6 September 1978 in Burton Joyce, Matthew was educated a few miles away in Southwell and attended the Southwell Minster School between 1989 and 1997.

He was also awarded an honorary degree from Nottingham Trent University in 2019.

Paul Smith

Sir Paul Brierley Smith, 76, is a world-renowned fashion designer from Beeston in Nottingham.

The designer was a pupil at Beeston Fields Primary before he left full-time education to work in a Nottingham clothing warehouse.

Paul opened his own shop called Paul Smith Vêtements Pour Homme in the heart of Nottingham in 1970 and began selling established clothing labels and his own designs.

The company, which started in a small 3 x 3-metre shop, is now among the top fashion brands in the world and has expanded into over 70 countries.

Su Pollard

Su Pollard is an actress and singer with a career spanning over 45 years.

She is most famous for her role in the sitcom Hi-de-Hi! and has appeared in over 35 stage plays and musicals. In 1986 her song "Starting Together" hit the number-two spot on the UK charts.

Su was born in Nottingham on 7 November 1949 and was educated at Berridge Road School, Hyson Green and Peveril Bilateral School and Robin’s Wood Road.

Samantha Morton

Samantha Morton is an actress and director known for her work in independent cinema and has starred in films including HBO’s Longford, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

She has received numerous accolades, such as a BAFTA and a Golden Globe, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.

She was born in the Clifton area on 13 May 1977 and attended West Bridgford School.

In July 2020, she was honoured by the University of Nottingham with an honorary degree.

Ed Balls

Ed Balls was born in Norwich on 25 February 1967, and his family moved to Nottingham when he was eight.

The Former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer attended Crossdale Drive Primary School in Keyworth and was privately educated at the all-boys Nottingham High School.

During his days at this school, he joined the Labour party as an adviser to Shadow Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Patrick Bamford

Patrick Bamford is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Leeds United and the England national team.

He joined Nottingham Forest's academy as an eight-year-old, making his debut in December 2011 at the age of 18.

The 29-year-old attended the independent fee-paying Nottingham High School, where due to the lack of a school football team, he played rugby union as a full-back.

He finished school with five A*s, three As and two Bs in his GCSEs and went on to study French, History, Biology and General Studies at A-Level.

Dan Hardy

Dan Hardy is a former mixed martial artist who fought in the welterweight division in promotions such as Cage Force and Cage Warriors, as well as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The Nottingham-born fighter began martial arts training aged five and was a pupil at West Bridgford School.

He gave up his degree in art and design in his final year at Nottingham Trent University to pursue MMA full-time.

Joe Root

Joe Root is an English international cricketer who plays for the English cricket team.

He is considered one of the great batsmen in modern days and is currently the leading run-scorer among all active batsmen.

Despite growing up in Sheffield, he had a cricket scholarship at Worksop College as a weekly boarder.