Widening Participation

The Glasgow School of Art contributes to the Access to Creative Education Scotland (ACES) and FOCUS West projects as part of the National Schools Programme (NSP). The NSP is funded by the Scottish Funding Council and supports senior phase pupils in Scotland from backgrounds of socio economic disadvantage and underrepresented groups to access Higher Education.

What We Do

We help eligible pupils apply for degrees in art, design, and architecture. These courses often get a lot of applications and have limited places. This makes them very competitive.

For this reason, applying for a creative degree typically requires more than just good grades. Unlike many other university courses, you may need to provide a portfolio of creative work and may be asked to attend an interview. Studying art, design, or architecture at degree level also needs a unique blend of skills, including curiosity, creativity, resourcefulness, critical thinking, good hand and technical skills, problem solving, and the ability to work independently.

To help with this, our specialist programme offers a variety of free activities, like taster sessions, portfolio courses, and application support, all designed to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to apply to and succeed in Higher Education.

What’s On Offer

We help eligible young people make informed decisions about their future studies by raising awareness of the wide range of options available both at GSA and elsewhere and providing the information and hands-on experiences they need to figure out the right path for them. Our activities focus on building the critical thinking and practical skills needed to complete a creative degree. We provide both on-campus and online study options so the programme is as inclusive as possible. All of our activities are free of charge and take place in the evening, at weekends or during school holidays, so they don’t clash with the school timetable. Young people can start participating when they begin S4 and continue with us until the end of S6.

Who Can Join?

Since the NSP aims to support pupils from backgrounds of socio economic disadvantage or underrepresented groups, our programme has eligibility criteria to make sure it reaches the young people it’s intended for. We work with S4-S6pupils from state secondary schools in the West of Scotland who meet one or more of the following criteria:

·      Live in an area that has an SIMD decile 1 – 4 (SIMD20/40)

·      Are care experienced

·      Are a young carer

·      Are estranged from their parents or legal guardians

·      Are a refugee or seeking asylum in the UK

·      Are a young Black person or young Person of Colour (BPOC)

We also welcome registrations from young people living in remote rural or island communities across Scotland who need support with applying to a creative degree. Our online courses are a great option for pupils who can’t travel to a university campus because of distance, cost, or other circumstances.

Please read the definitions for each of our eligibility criteria. We may ask for supporting evidence to confirm eligibility.

How To Get Involved

Young people who want to get involved can register by clicking the button at the bottom of this page. The team will review completed forms and may ask for supporting evidence to confirm eligibility. Once registration is complete, they can book onto an activity. Places are limited and fill up quickly, so pupils are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

What former participants say

‍

Applying to creative degrees

We encourage participants in our programme to use all five of their UCAS choices and apply to creative degrees that fit their interests, skills, and career goals. Many universities in Scotland, including our ACES partner institutions - University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, and Robert Gordon University - offer creative degrees, each with its own entry requirements and application processes. Applicants should thoroughly research the requirements for each degree they apply to by reading the relevant information on each university's website. We also recommend attending Open Days and Degree Shows where possible.Many universities provide online versions of these events, so pupils who can’t attend in-person can still participate.

Applying to the GSA

The GSA, like all other universities in Scotland, has adjusted entry requirements for school leavers from specific disadvantaged or underrepresented communities. Offers can be made to eligible GSA applicants who have, or go on to achieve, 4 Highers at BBCC, instead of the usual ABBB.

All GSA degree programmes need a digital portfolio and supportingstatement, and most also require an interview. To help with this, any schoolleaver from Scotland who applies to a degree programme at GSA and meets our WPprogramme eligibility criteria will be offered application support. Thisincludes assistance with their digital portfolio layout, interview advice, anda one-to-one mock interview.

Left secondary school already or want to start your studies at college?

Not all students on creative degrees come straight from school. Those who are no longer at secondary school, or want to apply from college can find more information about other routes into the GSA on our advanced entry page.

Get in touch

We are happy to answer questions about our programme, please contact us at wp@gsa.ac.uk

Our office hours are Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 5pm