6 famous people and the Nottingham schools they attended

Here in Nottingham, it’s always a proud moment when someone from our city makes it big. 

Over the years there have been quite a few Nottingham natives to get their big break and become household names. 

It’s often the case that these local celebrities love nothing more than celebrating their home city and some make it their task to raise Nottingham’s profile on the national or international stage. 

When someone from Nottingham becomes a celebrity, it’s always interesting to find out more about their life in the city, including where they went to school. 

So many of the city’s schools have played a key role in launching the careers of some huge names, so it’s only fair that we show them some appreciation. 

Did you or anyone you know go to the same school as any of these Nottingham celebrities?

1. Sir Paul Smith

You might even be wearing one of his designs while reading this!

World-renowned fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, who was born in Beeston in 1946, owes plenty of his success to Nottingham. 

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

The designer opened his own shop called Paul Smith Vêtements Pour Homme in the heart of Nottingham in 1970, before expanding worldwide in the 1980s. 

2. Vicky McClure

Miss Nottingham herself, Vicky McClure’s Nottingham roots are well-documented. 

The Wollaton-born actress attended Fernwood School in the 1990s. 

She returned to her old school in 2017 to hand out GCSE certificates. 

3. Mathew Horne 

Best known for his role as Gavin Shipman in the hit BBC series Gavin and Stacey, Mathew Horne was born in Burton Joyce, just outside Nottingham, in 1978. 

Horne attended the Southwell Minster School between 1989 and 1997, before studying at the University of Manchester. 

In 2019, Horne was given an honorary degree from Nottingham Trent University.

4. Jake Bugg

Jake Bugg burst onto the scene in 2012 after releasing his self-titled debut album.  

Bugg, whose full name is Jake Edwin Charles Kennedy, grew up in Clifton and attended the Farnborough School Technology College.

5. Ed Balls

Football fans might associate former MP Ed Balls with Norwich City,  but the Good Morning Britain host actually spent much of his childhood in Nottingham. 

Eight years after his birth in Norwich, Balls and his family moved to Nottingham. 

He went on to study at Crossdale Drive Primary School in Keyworth, before attending the private all-boys Nottingham High School.

6. Patrick Bamford 

Despite being born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, footballer Patrick Bamford was schooled in Nottingham. 

After joining the Nottingham Forest Academy as an eight-year-old, Bamford studied at Nottingham High School. 

After success with his GCSE and A-Levels, Bamford was offered a place at Harvard University, but chose to pursue a football career in England.