Hi, please see the information from Glasgow School of Art about the possibility of an amazing opportunity for those in S5 who are considering applying to Art School.
The Glasgow School of Art’s Widening Participation team are still taking bookings for the S5 Portfolio Courses starting in January 2026. These courses are open to eligible S5 pupils who may be interested in studying a visual creative subject when they leave secondary school. During the 10-week course participants will take part in a number of short, creative projects such as:
- How to use a sketchbook
- Experimental drawing
- Painting
- Working in 3D
- A group crit
Materials are provided free of charge in the studio for on-campus courses or posted to your home address if you are taking part online.
This course helps participants generate work for their digital portfolio. Unlike most other university courses, applying for a creative degree can require applicants to put together a creative portfolio and attend an interview. Studying art, design, or architecture at degree level also calls for a mix of skills—curiosity, creativity, resourcefulness, critical thinking, good practical and technical abilities, problem-solving, and the confidence to work independently. The Widening Participation programme is designed to equip young people from backgrounds of socio-economic disadvantage with the skills and knowledge they need to apply to and succeed in Higher Education.
Courses Available
Below is a list of courses your pupils can book a place on:
| Day | Time | Dates | Location | Spaces Available |
| S5 Sundays | 1pm to 4pm | 25 January to 29 March 2026 | On GSA campus | Limited availability |
| S5 Tuesdays | 5pm to 8pm | 27 January to 31 March 2026 | Online (Microsoft Teams) | Good availability |
Eligibility
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. Eligible pupils are those in S4-S6 from state secondary schools across Scotland who meet one or more of following criteria:
- live in a priority postcode area (decile 1-4, SIMD 20/40)
- 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)
Booking a place
To book a place, pupils should email wp@gsa.ac.uk to express an interest. We’ll send them an online registration form to complete. If you prefer, you can ask them to fill out the form first instead. If they’re eligible, we’ll send them a list of courses that still have spaces available. Bookings will only be confirmed once they’ve completed a course booking form.
Please let your Higher Art & Design Teacher know if this is of interest to you.
