Ms. L. Robson
Head of Department
Examining Board AQA
“At a time when real damage is occurring to arts education, I want to point to how substantially its creative power lights the path to our future, [fashion] is the second most profitable industry in the world. I think it’s really important to make a statement.” Richard Quinn MA Fashion, Central Saint Martins, UAL
2023 results: Progress 8 score: 1 whole grade value added on average per student.
At GCSE, we offer a successful and evolving course that combines traditional skills with contemporary practice:
- MAKING
Designing and making your own fashion garments eg. T-shirts, corsets, bags, belts, hats, shoes, jewellery, jackets. Engaging with contemporary makers in print, stitched textile art, embroidery, soft sculpture, installation, craft, interiors and fashion.
- FABRICS
Designing and constructing your own fabrics using silkscreen printing, weaving, stitching, batik, dyeing and felting. Surface pattern and print. Photoshop and 2D design CAD skills.
- FASHION STYLING & PROMOTION
Setting up and styling fashion shoots, taking your own photographs and editing them for use as magazine covers or promotional material.
- SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
Ethical principles, environmental concerns, upcycling, refashioning and customising garments.
Course structure:
UNIT 1 and 2: Coursework:
Topics vary in response to current exhibitions /museum/ gallery learning.
Genres: Print and Pattern, Costume, Textile art, Fashion, Accessories, Illustration and Interiors.
Visual and contextual research. Responding to artists, designers and makers. Learning practical skills and experimenting with materials.
Presenting a personal response (final piece) based on prior research and experimentation/ planning.
Final piece(s)
2 x approx.10 hour personal responses produced under exam conditions. Coursework workshop days in Year 10 and 11.
Extra- curricular opportunities offer practical workshops and sketchbook skills, coursework support and specialist practitioner visits; eg. Sew Jessalli, Blandford. AUB summer shows, gothic fashion and historical costume loan: Blandford fashion museum, V&A online.
Unit 3: Externally set task
Students choose a theme from an exam paper set by the exam board in January of year 11. Responding to the four assessment criteria understood throughout the course they research, record, experiment and develop ideas towards the personal final piece produced under exam conditions in a ten hour practical exam around Easter of Year 11 when the course finishes.
WHY TEXTILES?
Fantastic results: Textiles GCSE was the top scoring P8 subject 2020
It is creative, messy and FUN! We leave the classroom. We make things. We work collaboratively. There is no written exam.
85% Level 4-8 100% A* – B A Level
TRIPS, VISITS & WORK EXPERIENCE
Blandford Fashion Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Stitch Show, AUB Summer Show, Sew Jessalli, Kyleigh’s papercuts, Just William
LOCAL and NATIONAL COMPETITIONS, PRIZES
The Clothes Show
The Valter Trust- Cockbaine Shield winners for design innovation 2019
Dorset Asset Trust- regional Textiles prize 2018 and 2019.
ANNUAL FASHION SHOW and EXHIBITION
NSEAD 2017: UK Fashion industry employs 800,000 people
Fashion and textile industry contributes £66 billion to the economy.
This is a qualification that will help you access higher-level creative courses
(e.g. ‘A’ Level Fashion & Textiles, Art & Design, Photography, Graphics etc.), or employment and apprenticeships in the creative sector: e.g. Retail/visual merchandising, designer/maker, fashion buyer, advertising and branding, costume.
Graduate alumni Aleksandra Dyka: BA Fashion Winchester School of Art
Graduate Fashion Week, London 2023
https://www.graduatefashionweek.com/search-portfolios/aleksandra-dyka
Contact: Ms. L. Robson – Head of Textiles
Fashion futures: Our students have gone on to study at degree level via our Year 14 BTEC Foundation Art course; London College of Fashion, Winchester School of Art, De Montfort, Manchester, UCA.
Curriculum Content of each academic year
Year 9 | |
Course | Content |
KS3 National Curriculum Textiles 1 lesson a fortnight | Autumn: Baseline test- Experimentation with media. Design principles: Fashion context Assessment Objective 1, 2, 3 Spring: Formal elements and design principles. Fashion illustration, design and layout. Assessment Objective 1, 2, 3, 4 Summer: Material exploration; pattern, weave, print. CAD & 2D design skills. GCSE intro Summer 2. Assessment objective 2 |
How its assessed: | Peer, self-assessment and teacher review GCSE assessment objective linked |
Year 10 | |
Course/ Exam Board | Content |
AQA Art and Design Textiles GCSE 100% Coursework: Component 1: Portfolio | Unit 1: Fashioned from Nature: Textiles principles, material exploration, basic construction skills and sketchbooks. 3D product, garment customisation, textile artwork, C&C understanding and development of personal response; AO4. 5 hour coursework day: Final piece Unit 2: Narrative costume – critical and contextual research: AO1, AO2. |
How its assessed: | Teacher assessment, internal standardisation, moderator visit/ online moderation |
Year 11 | |
Course/ Exam Board | Content |
AQA Art and Design Textiles GCSE Component 1: Portfolio Component 2: Externally set exam 40% Externally set assignment Exam: 10 hours – Period of sustained focus | Narrative textiles- issues based personal project Garment construction, coursework outcome and understanding historical costume genre. Externally set exam- Component 2 Externally set assignment conclusion: 10 hour exam– component 1 and 2 internally assessed and standardised. |
How its assessed: | Teacher assessment, internal standardisation, moderator visit/ online moderation |
Year 12 | |
Course/ Exam Board | Content |
AQA A Level Art and Design Textiles 100% Coursework: Component 1: Portfolio 60% Coursework: Component 2: Externally set exam 40% Externally set assignment Exam: 10 hours – Period of sustained focus | Component 1: Portfolio Environment- Extended material workshops and innovation. C & C understanding. Responding to a brief. Environment conclusion. Mock exam unit 1st February- May half term; 10 hour sustained focus. Post May half term Personal Investigation starts |
How its assessed: | Teacher assessment, internal standardisation, moderator visit/ online moderation |
Year 13 | |
Course/ Exam Board | Content |
AQA A Level Art and Design Textiles | Personal Investigation- Student formulated project Personal Investigation conclusion. Externally set exam unit 1st Feb: Component 2 15 hours period of sustained focus exam |
How its assessed: | Teacher assessment, internal standardisation, moderator visit/ online moderation |
Textiles Careers Information
Fashion and Textile students are skilled practitioners who can work with a range of materials and techniques; carry out visual research and generate original ideas. They can evaluate and reflect critically on work, understand design principles relating to colour, texture and pattern and contextualise their ideas culturally and historically. Studying textiles can lead to a diverse range of creative careers in the fashion and textile industries including print, knit, weave, digital, photography, retail, interiors, furnishing, product, materials, fashion, props, theatre and costume design/ construction. From weaves and dyes to stitches, silhouettes and tailored cuts – if you study fashion and/or textiles you’ll need an artistic eye, attention to detail and impeccable skill. Design has the power to change the world, the potential to affect positive change and innovate in sustainable futures contributing to our climate change revolution.
“If the UK’s creative industries are to continue to be world-leading….studying the arts improves students’ grades across the board, too, and equips young people with the skills required in a future job market. After all, in a world of growing automation, creativity is what makes us human”
Rt Hon Ed Vaizy, MP
Labour Market Information (LMI):
Statistics shown here reflect the potential for the study of Textiles to lead to lucrative and fulfilling careers. The “UK fashion industry currently employs 800,000 people and is worth £66 billion to the UK economy.” NSEAD 2017 National Society for Educators in Art and Design
The pandemic has sparked discussion around the future of fashion, providing a platform for a more ethical model for the industry. Changing consumer habits and awareness of personal responsibility reflect exciting new developments in the fashion and textile industries. The following sites show useful business forecasts and reflect current industry stats. https://www.ukft.org/business-advice/industry-reports-and-stats/
https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-policy-insight/insight-articles/power-fashion
The LMI for All portal provides high quality, reliable LMI information – see link below: https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/
Pathways Example Post 16
Level 2 Students can apply for apprenticeships such as manufacturing operatives
Level 3 A Level Textiles
Individuals can enter employment with level 3 qualifications or continue to develop by studying level 4.
Level 4 BTEC National Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design leads onto diverse range of Undergraduate Degree options at University or Apprenticeships in specialist fields.