Widening Participation & Outreach
We support students from all backgrounds to join our creative community.
Our Widening Participation & Outreach team supports students from all backgrounds to develop their creativity, access higher education and have the courage to pursue their potential.
Who we support
Our widening access initiatives are designed to support underrepresented students who may face barriers when accessing higher education.
This could include individuals who identify under one or more of the following criteria:
- Those who receive/have received Free School Meals or whose household income is below £25,000
- Those from areas with low higher education progression
- Ethnically diverse students
- Care Leavers or Care Experienced individuals
- Those whose parents did not go to university
- Mature students
- Disabled students
- Carers
- Those who have one or more parents serving in the Armed Forces
How we support
We support individuals in two main ways: directly or through their schools and colleges. You can explore the individual support we offer, as well as how we equip teachers and advisors, below.
Individual support
What we offer
Our Applicant Support Programme aims to remove some of the barriers that underrepresented students may face when applying to university.
All applicants are assessed based on our eligibility criteria (see who we support), and are then offered a support package based on their needs. Support could include personal statement advice, portfolio feedback, interview adjustments, mentoring and/or financial bursaries.
Our Saturday Club programmes give young people aged 14-15 across Cornwall the opportunity to study subjects that they love for free at their local university.
We offer clubs in Art & Design, Fashion & Business and Film & Media, delivered every Saturday during term time in our industry-standard facilities.
Find out more about our National Saturday Clubs
Working in collaboration with Brightside Mentoring, we connect young people studying at our partner schools and colleges with online mentoring support and advice, to help them make confident and informed decisions about their futures.
“[My mentor] has been really, really helpful, I now know which universities I’d rather focus on and the courses that can help me get the contacts, experience and opportunities needed for my future. Thank you so, so much!”
– Creative Futures Mentoring Programme participant
Every year, our outreach team runs an exciting creative competition designed to celebrate and showcase young people’s creativity. Entrants will be invited to an exhibition of entries and could be in with the chance to win some incredible prizes.
If you want to hear about our next Creative Competition, let us know via email.
Falmouth University is a funding partner of Careerpilot, a website developed to support young people aged 13-19 to access impartial information and support about progression routes. Careerpilot is free for all schools and colleges in the South West region, as well as in some parts of the South East.
Alongside Careerpilot, Lifepilot is a website resource aimed at supporting adults who are progressing to higher level study.
The Falmouth University Travel Fund is designed to support individuals facing financial hardship with visiting the University.
If you're a UK resident and meet our eligibility criteria, we can assist you with the cost of travel to the following events:
- Open Days
- Applicant Days
- On-campus Interviews
Free online advice and guidance sessions
Wed 06 Dec 2023
16:00 - 17:00
Portfolio Advice
Online
In this session we’ll cover the basics for putting together a portfolio ready for interview.
Tue 12 Dec 2023
18:00 - 19:00
Portfolio Advice (Mature Students)
Online
In this interactive, follow-up session we’ll cover putting together a portfolio ready for intervie...
Wed 21 Feb 2024
18:00 - 19:00
Virtual Open Event: Online undergraduate degrees
Online
Join our friendly Course Advisors to find out how you can create and innovate from anywhere in the w...
Tue 12 Mar 2024
16:00 - 17:00
Money Management Masterclass
Online
An online masterclass on how to budget and manage your money effectively while studying at universit...
Tue 30 Apr 2024
16:00 - 17:00
Employability Support Webinar
Online
Join our online session discussing what employability support there is available at Falmouth Univers...
Wed 22 May 2024
17:30 - 18:30
Preparing for University as a Mature Student (Q&A)
Online
An opportunity to chat to current mature students at Falmouth University
Wed 19 Jun 2024
16:00 - 17:00
Student Support and Accessibility Webinar
Online
Find out more about what student support and accessibility support is available to you.
Wed 26 Jun 2024
16:00 - 17:00
Preparing for University: Cook-a-long
Online
Join our live cook-a-long to find out tips and tricks for eating well on a budget.
Wed 03 Jul 2024
16:00 - 17:00
Preparing for University: Leaving Home
Online
Thu 08 Aug 2024
16:00 - 17:00
Virtual Twilight Tea: In conversation with our students
Online
Grab your teapot and join our online students for an informal chat about their experiences of studyi...
Useful resources
From personal statement advice to a parents and carers guide, here are all our best resources for applying to university.
Personal Statement Guide
How do you write a personal statement and what should you include? Read our advice.
Preparing for Your Interview
What's an interview like and how can you prepare? Read our advice and tips and search for course inf...
Portfolio Advice
What is a university portfolio and how do you make one? Read our guide.
Apply for Undergraduate Courses
Join our undergraduate community. Find out key dates and get application information and advice...
Parents & Carers Guide to University
Get clued up on what to expect from the university application journey as a parent or supporter. ...
Parents & Carers Guide to Online Study
See how you can support a student considering an online degree at Falmouth.
Clearing Advice for Parents, Guardians and Carers
What is Clearing? How can your child apply? And how can you support them through the process? Find o...
Our Access and Participation Plan
Our Access and Participation Plan sets out what we are doing to improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups to access and succeed in higher education.
Collaborative partners and networks
Next Steps South West
Next Steps South West (NSSW) is a collaboration of fourteen partner universities and colleges throughout Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. Part of the Office for Students’ Uni Connect Programme, we work collaboratively to help young people and adult learners to progress into higher education.
Care Leavers Covenant
The Care Leavers Covenant is a national inclusion programme that supports care leavers aged 16-25 to live independently and access opportunities. Falmouth University is a proud signatory of the covenant and is dedicated to supporting care experienced individuals.
Western Vocational Progression Consortium
The WVPC is a consortium of universities and colleges in the South of England, hosted at the University of Bath. It aims to increase the progression of adults and young people to higher level study through providing online, impartial information and support about all progression routes on Careerpilot and Lifepilot websites.
Meet our team
Our Schools and Colleges Partnerships team is made up of passionate and highly experienced practitioners.
To book an activity or for further information, contact your regional representative or email outreach@falmouth.ac.uk.
Andrew Wallis
Head of School and College Partnerships, South West and Wales
Brad Tudor-Gayler
Head of School and College Partnerships, South East and London
Joshua Barnett
Head of School and College Partnerships, Midlands and North
Contact
If you would like to find out more or tell us you identify as an underrepresented student and would like support, please contact our Outreach Team: