The Essex college that educated Dermot O'Leary and hosted a Blur concert

Due to the large number of celebs that have come out of Essex, many schools in the county have some pretty famous alumni. This school did not only educate a classic household name - but also hosted one of England's biggest bands as a tiny concert venue.

The Sixth Form College Colchester is a specialist college - and is one of the largest and most successful inclusive 16-19 providers of general academic sixth form education in the country. The college’s prime aim is to provide broad, high quality academic and general education programmes to its 16-19 year old full time students.

The College received Outstanding at an Ofsted Inspection assessment in 2024 (OFSTED published in 2024). Levels of student retention and achievement, including value added, are strong - and with all of this in mind, it is no shock that it has had some famous faces pass through.

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Dermot O'Leary, most famously known for hosting X Factor, went to this sixth form college having been born in Colchester. More recently, O'Leary has presented ITV's This Morning on Fridays, school holidays and bank holidays alongside Alison Hammond, a role expanded to the remainder of the week on a rotation.

It did not just educate celebs, either - it also hosted them! The college is located on the former site of the Gilberd School, which Blur drummer Dave Rowntree attended.

In 1994, Blur played a show at the college – as three out of four members of Blur have links with Colchester! The college was also the backdrop for a submission in the official Brian May and Kerry Ellis crowdsourced music video for "The Kissing Me Song" - which has got hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.

This school boasts not just of its exceptional education and inclusivity. It is pretty much famous for its celebrity alumni and famous visitors, too.

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