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 Enhanced 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
Mon 29 Apr 2024
14:00 - 15:00
BA(Hons) Photography (Online) Taster Session
Online
Join the BA(Hons) Photography (Online) Taster Session to get an insight into the degree.
Mon 29 Apr 2024
18:00 - 19:00
Comedy Writing MA (Online) - Masterclass
Online
In this MA Comedy Writing Masterclass, Simon Nicholls will explore comedy character development – ...
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 01 May 2024
09:00 - 10:00
MA Prosthetic Effects Course Overview and Live Q&A
Online
Discover everything you need to know about MA Prosthetic Effects at Falmouth University.
Wed 01 May 2024
15:00 - 16:00
BA(Hons) Theatre and Performance Masterclass
Online
This session will give you a dynamic insight into our performance training programme including train...
Wed 01 May 2024
16:00 - 17:00
Student Finance Webinar
Online
We know that understanding how student loans work can seem intimidating and often off-putting so in ...
Wed 08 May 2024
12:00 - 13:00
Moving to Falmouth Webinar
Online
Join our webinar to hear from our students about why they chose to move to Falmouth, what it was lik...
Illustration BA(Hons) (Online) in-person event
Wed 08 May 2024
14:00 - 15:00
An introduction to MA Illustration: Authorial Practice
Online
Discover everything you need to know about our Postgraduate Illustration: Authorial Practice MA at F...
Thu 09 May 2024
13:00 - 14:00
BA Interior Design (online) Taster Session and live Q&A
Online
Join the BA(Hons) Interior Design (Online) course team for a taster session in Interior Design.
Fri 10 May 2024
12:30 - 13:30
BSc Business & Marketing (Online) Taster Session and live Q&A
Online
Join the BSc Business & Marketing (online) Course Leader for a taster session to give an insight int...
Wed 15 May 2024
12:00 - 13:00
Budgeting as an international student: Advice Session
Online
In this session we will give you a short overview of things and costs to consider when budgeting for...
Wed 15 May 2024
17:30 - 18:30
Parents & Carers: Starting University Webinar
Online
If your young person is starting university in September, then this session is a great way to find o...
Wed 15 May 2024
18:00 - 19:00
MSc Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management Masterclass
Online
Join Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management MSc Course Leader, Marcus Simmons, for a Masterclass e...
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
Thu 23 May 2024
11:00 - 12:00
Visas and Fees for international students
Online
In this session we will remind you about the visa process in general and give you general guidance.
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: