Where is the school?
We are based in Gorey, Ireland. You will find a map on our contact page.
Who accredits your courses?
QQI is the awarding body for our courses. QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) is a state agency established by the Quality Assurance and Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 2012 with a board appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills. Their functions include those previously carried out by the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC); the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC); the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI).
A comprehensive explanation of who QQI are and the work they do can be found on the QQI website.
When can I apply?
Applications are accepted online from November to September each year. Late applications are considered, however places are limited and no guarantee can be made that places will be available. Please refer to our Key Dates page for specific application deadlines and interview dates.
How do I apply?
Our home page contains links to all of our courses, or you can click “courses” on our navigation bar. Once you have selected your course of interest, click the "Apply Now" button located on the left-hand side bar. Fill out this form and click "Submit".
What are the entry requirements for your courses?
The entry requirements for each course vary. You will find information about the entry requirements at the bottom of each course page. Here are links to our full-time courses Portfolio Preparation, Advanced Portfolio Preparation, Documentary Filmmaking & Photography and the same is true for our BTEI courses.
I've applied, what happens next?
We often process applications within a week, however, depending on the time of year this may be longer. For example, during the summer months, staff will take annual leave and this can result in a delay in processing applications. When your application is process, you will receive a confirmation email and a text message to your mobile.
Applications for courses where interviews are necessary will be given a specific time a week in advance of the interview date. Please refer to our Key Dates page for specific dates. Our first round of interviews will take place in May each year, followed by another round of interviews for late applications in September.
What should I bring to my interview?
Apart from yourself, it depends on the course that you've applied for. Our biggest wish is to populate our courses with interesting, engaged and committed students. Interviews are one way of trying to guarantee that that happens. We don't like to specify exactly what to bring simply because we'd like to meet the real you and not somebody you think we'd like to meet. For those of you who would like some direction, we'll mention a few things that might help you.
Drawings, visual diary, research about artists (photographers, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, etc), collages, assemblages, found objects, a list of interests you have or clubs that you might be involved in. This list could go on forever and might never list the right thing for every applicant.
As educators who are passionate about our work, we will never achieve our goals if we have groups of students who are not prepared to work. So again, we want students who are interesting, engaged and committed. Skills can be taught once we have the students with the right attitude.
When can I expect my acceptance letter?
Acceptance letters are a crucial part of your application. We release acceptance letters once the registration fee is paid.
What is the cost of each course?
For full-time courses at Gorey School of Art, a basic registration fee of €200 is applied.
For part-time course, i.e. BTEI courses, these are free to eligible students. A basic registration fee of €200 is charged to each student who is not BTEI eligible.
Am I eligible for a BTEI course?
The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) provides part-time courses for adults and young people aged over 16 who left school with few or no formal qualifications or low literacy levels.
The groups prioritised for participation in the BTEI are listed in the Back to Education Initiative Operational Guidelines (pdf). Within these groups, priority is given to those most educationally disadvantaged.
You can also take part in BTEI if you are working and on a low income. The aim is to give people an opportunity to combine their learning with family, work and other commitments.
The participants eligible for free tuition are people who (or their dependants):
Have less than upper-second level education or
Are getting a jobseeker’s payment or means-tested social welfare payment (there is a list of eligible payments in the BTEI Operational Guidelines (pdf) or
Are getting Working Family Payment (formerly knows as Family Income Supplement) or
Have a medical card or
Are eligible to participate on VTOS or Youthreach.
How do I pay?
Payments can only be made online. You can pay online by using the link below.
Can I apply for a grant?
Yes of course. Please refer to SUSI and Student Finance for more information. You might also benefit from visiting the Citizens Information website.
What date do the courses start and finish?
Portfolio Preparation course commences mid September and finishes on the Friday of the June Bank Holiday weekend.
Advanced Portfolio Preparation commences mid September and finishes on the Friday of the June Bank Holiday weekend.
Documentary Filmmaking & Photography commences mid September and finishes on the Friday of the June Bank Holiday weekend.
All BTEI courses commence late September and finish early April.
What time do the courses start and finish each day?
All full-time courses operate from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, September to May. Part-time courses vary from year to year, however, they generally start at 10am and finish on 4pm on the day the course is scheduled to take place.
What materials and equipment do I need?
Applicants will receive a materials list with their acceptance letters, or at interview. For most of our courses, students will only need a basic supply of materials to begin with. These should include willow charcoal, a range of B grade pencils, putty rubber, masking tape and a craft knife.
For Documentary Filmmaking & Photography it is mandatory that every student has a minimum 64GB 120mb/s Class 10 U3 SD card.
