Rose Bruford College

Rose Bruford College began in 1950 as the Rose Bruford Training College of Speech and Drama, founded by Rose Bruford together with Edith Scorer and Mary Henniker-Heaton. Its founding purpose was to produce actors capable of teaching and teachers capable of acting. Today it is a specialist theatre and performance college based at Lamorbey Park, Sidcup, in south-east London, and the campus is centred on Lamorbey House, a Grade II listed building, and the surrounding grounds. The Privy Council granted it taught degree awarding powers, and it awarded its own degrees for the first time in 2018; for more than twenty years before that, the University of Manchester had validated its degrees.

Rose Bruford has around 870 students. Its BA programmes cover acting, actor musicianship, international acting practices, and acting for screen and devised performance, together with production courses in stage management, scenic arts, creative lighting control and costume. Postgraduate and research degrees are also offered, and the first PhD was awarded by the college in 2024. The Clive Barker Library and the Stanislavski Centre are both on campus, and former students include the actors Stephen Graham and Gary Oldman.

Information for International Students

International recruitment staff support applicants, and once they enrol the Student Life team helps with accommodation, finance, registering for healthcare and adapting to life in the UK. English is assessed via a UKVI-approved Secure English Language Test: IELTS for UKVI 5.5 overall, no component under 5.5, for undergraduate study; 6.5, no component under 6.0, for postgraduate study; and 7.0, no component under 6.5, for research degrees. Performance applicants usually begin the audition process by sending a self-tape, after which they may be invited to the following round.

A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies follows once the applicant meets the UKVI financial requirements and the English language requirement. Christopher Court, the college hall opposite Sidcup station and roughly ten minutes on foot from campus, has a guaranteed room for each new international undergraduate, although this depends on the number of applications and on meeting the booking deadline. Those aged under 18 cannot usually live there. Summer schools, short courses and foundation courses give international students the option of shorter study periods. After finishing their degree, graduates may apply to work in the UK on the Graduate Route.