The Northern School of Art Reviews

The Northern School of Art is the North of England's highest-rated specialist art school, holding TEF Gold — the highest rating available — and the only specialist art and design school in the North East. Its Hartlepool campus delivers university-level courses in fine art, photography, graphic design, illustration, fashion and textiles, film, TV and theatre, and production design, with 94.5% of students rating the teaching on their course positively in the 2026 National Student Survey. Courses are practice-based, with an emphasis on studio work, live briefs and portfolio development rather than traditional exams.

University Open Days

Prospective students can visit for an open day to see the studios and facilities, meet current students and tutors, and get a feel for the course they're interested in. Open days typically run for around four hours, with a welcome talk, campus tours and subject-specific sessions, plus the chance to speak to Student Services about finance and support. Booking in advance means visitors can flag their area of interest so the day can be tailored around it.

Where is the university located?

The Northern School of Art's degree courses are based at 1 Church Street in Hartlepool, a coastal town in the North East of England. The campus sits within the town's Innovation and Skills Quarter, close to the marina, shopping and entertainment venues, and the National Museum of the Royal Navy. The train station is a short walk away, with direct connections to Newcastle, Leeds and beyond. Hartlepool is also one of the more affordable places in the country to study — the North of England has the cheapest average student rent of any UK region, at £530 a month against a national average of £563 (NatWest Student Living Index, 2025), meaning students' maintenance loans go further here than in many bigger cities. Full directions and contact details are on the how to find us page.

Graduate Outcomes

The School holds TEF Gold overall, retained for four years running, and 81% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (2023/24). This is backed by close industry links, with each course maintaining relationships with creative partners who contribute to curriculum development and provide work experience and placement opportunities. Graduates and final-year students can also access FOLIO, the School's dedicated employability and enterprise service, offering one-to-one coaching, help finding work or further study, and subsidised studio space for those setting up on their own — 93% of students rate their FOLIO experience as excellent. Graduates who've used the service describe concrete outcomes: "My one-on-one tutorials over a period of time were really helpful, as they allowed me to put in real work preparing for my new job role with plenty of time to do so. FOLIO also put together a resource list for me to access and research in my own time, which was extremely helpful."

Graduates and alumni of the School have gone on to shape culture across the UK and beyond. They include film director Sir Ridley Scott, artist Mackenzie Thorpe, Royal Academician Basil Beattie, illustrator and Bob the Builder creator Curtis Jobling, and painter and Royal Academician Olwyn Bowey, whose work is held in the Tate collection. More alumni stories are on the School's site, alongside its full history spanning more than 150 years of creative education.

Facilities

Students have access to a full range of specialist, industry-standard facilities regardless of their chosen course. These include design studios, iMac and Cintiq suites, kiln and print facilities and laser cutters for art and design; black-and-white and digital darkrooms and dedicated photography studios; a double-height film and television studio with green screen, a 129-seat theatre and full lighting and sound rigs for film, TV and theatre courses; and pattern cutting, dye and embroidery rooms for fashion and textiles. Facilities are housed across a mix of heritage buildings, including the Grade II listed Leadbitter Building, and newer purpose-built studio and workshop spaces.

What is the university or city like?

Hartlepool is a small coastal town with a strong sense of community, a working marina and long stretches of open beach alongside its Victorian parks and historic docks. For creative students, the changing backdrop of seafront, industrial architecture and street scenes offers plenty of material close to hand. The town centre has a shopping centre, retail parks, cafés, bars and a cinema, with everything within easy walking distance of campus — more on life in Hartlepool is covered on the School's site.

Student Life

The Northern School of Art is known for its small, close-knit community, with 91% of students responding to the 2026 NSS — well above the national response average — reflecting how engaged students are with the School. Smaller class sizes than many universities mean students get to know their tutors and course mates quickly. Student accommodation is available close to campus at some of the lowest rents of any UK student city, and the Students' Union runs events and societies alongside the theatre, film and exhibition programmes hosted by the School itself. Current students and recent graduates talk about their own experience of the courses in Faces of Creativity, a series of video interviews spanning everything from Fine Art to Modelmaking & Props. One current student described settling in: "The student life in Hartlepool is really vibrant. When I came here I was worried I would be lonely and make no friends, but it was the complete opposite."