Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) is a further and higher education college in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The college is a Regional Teaching Partner of

Lancaster University Lancaster University (officially The University of Lancaster) is a collegiate public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several new univer ...

and offers full and part-time further education, higher education and vocational courses along with apprenticeships. From September 2016 the college also holds its own

foundation degree A foundation degree is a combined academic and vocational qualification in higher education in the United Kingdom, equivalent to two-thirds of an honours bachelor's degree. Foundation degrees were introduced by the Department for Education and ...

awarding powers. Facilities include four main campuses located across the

Fylde Coast The Fylde () is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the foot of the Bowland hills to ...

. The sites in

Fleetwood Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census. Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830 ...

form a specialised Nautical campus, which teaches courses for merchant seafarers and offshore workers. As well as delivering a broad portfolio of accredited safety, survival and fire training courses, qualifications are also awarded by the

Scottish Qualifications Authority The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA; Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic: ''Ùghdarras Theisteanas na h-Alba'') is the Scottish public bodies, executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for accrediting educationa ...

, Lancaster University as well as the college itself.

History

In Fleetwood, a school for fisherman was opened in 1892. The history of B&FC dates back to 1892's opening of Fleetwood's School for Fishermen, which later developed into the Nautical campus. A technical college was built in 1936. Blackpool Technical College (B&FC's Palatine Road site, later expanded into Blackpool Technical College and School of Art) opened in 1937, and expanded again to include the Bispham site c.1970 (Hall, ''A Hundred Years of Blackpool Education'', Blackpool Education Committee, 1970). The Fleetwood and Blackpool colleges combined into B&FC in 1987. In 1987, the nautical college merged with Blackpool and Fylde College, becoming Blackpool and The Fylde College. The college's Lytham site has been converted to provide sixth form facilities, in conjunction with Lytham St Annes Technology and Performing Arts College. In 2009, it opened a new facility. In 2013, it had four main campuses and 70 learning centers. It had around 16,000 students. In 2025, it had 9 locations listed on its website. Also in 2025, the city of Blackpool finalized a plan to begin construction on a new campus for the university in its town centre, meant to bring up to 3,000 people and set to open in 2027. The city had started purchasing land for the project in 2024, with both Blackpool and the Fylde College and

to use the buildings.

Campuses

* Bispham * Gateway * Fleetwood Nautical * Seasiders Learning * University Centre * Lancashire Energy HQ

Students' Union

B&FC Students' Union is affiliated with the NUS and works in partnership with the college. The SU represents students on a range of issues, including equality and diversity, education and social activities.

Institute of Technology

Located across England, IoTs are a national network of partnerships between local colleges, universities and leading employers of which B&FC is now a part of. Backed by a £290 million government investment, IoTs deliver the high quality technical education, providing skills-based training for careers across multiple technical industries. B&FC as of 2023 was a partner with Lancashire and Cumbria's Institute of Technology, delivering a variety of technical IoT courses.

Alumni

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician best known for being the chief vocalist, Flute, flautist, and acoustic guitarist of the British rock band Jethro Tull (band), Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist who also p ...

, rock musician *

Peter Baynham Peter Baynham is a Welsh screenwriter, stand-up comedian and performer. His writing work includes collaborations with comedy figures such as Armando Iannucci, Steve Coogan, Chris Morris, Sacha Baron Cohen and Sarah Smith. Born in Cardiff, Wales ...

, comedian and screenwriter *

Kate Ford Kate Ford (born 29 December 1976) is a British actress. She is known for her portrayal of Tracy Barlow in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' (2002–2007, 2010–present). Ford was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. She attended Qu ...

, actress *

Craig McDean Craig McDean (born 1964 in England) is a British fashion photographer, originally from Middlewich, now based in New York City. Life McDean originally trained and worked as a car mechanic before studying photography at Mid Cheshire College (OND ...

, photographer * Sarah Myerscough, model maker / artist for

Blackpool Illuminations Blackpool Illuminations is an annual Illuminations (festival), lights festival, founded in 1879 and first switched on 18 September that year, held each autumn in the British seaside resort of Blackpool on the The Fylde, Fylde Coast in Lancashire ...

, previously at

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* Helen Owen, theatre actress *

Craig Parkinson Craig Parkinson (born 11 March 1976) is an English actor and podcaster. He has played Shaun in the E4 series '' Misfits'', twins Jimmy and Johnny Kray in the ITV series ''Whitechapel'', and DI Matthew "Dot" Cottan in ''Line of Duty''. He has a ...

, actor *

Jodie Prenger Jodie Christine Prenger (born 12 June 1979) is an English actress and singer, best known for winning the second series of ''The Biggest Loser'' in 2006 and the BBC talent show '' I'd Do Anything'' in 2008, the latter of which subsequently laun ...

, actress and singer *

John Simm John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970) is an English actor, director, and musician. He is best known for playing Sam Tyler in ''Life on Mars'', the Master in ''Doctor Who,'' and DS Roy Grace in ''Grace.'' His other television credits include '' ...

, actor

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Blackpool Buildings and structures in the Borough of Fylde Buildings and structures in Fleetwood Education in Blackpool Education in the Borough of Fylde Education in the Borough of Wyre Further education colleges in the Collab Group Further education colleges in Lancashire Maritime colleges in the United Kingdom