Art & Design (Textiles)
GCSE
Examining Board
Edexcel
Course Introduction
This three year course is for those with enthusiasm and passion for fashion, textiles and art. It is a highly creative course and encourages students to develop and be creative with a wide variety of materials and techniques including plastics, wire, felt and fabrics. The course is very practical with the focus on experimenting with textiles to create sculptures, artworks, fashion pieces or accessories. Teaching is tailored to students’ individual strengths and interests and students create a wide range of individual and artistic responses.
Assessments
Coursework sketchbooks and final outcomes (60% of overall marks)
Externally set assignment (40% of overall marks)
Progression
GCSE Textiles is linear and flows directly into A Level. The fashion and textiles industry is one of the largest in the UK and can lead to a large variety of career opportunities in design, fashion journalism, costume design, theatre design, pattern cutting, tailoring, fashion buying, marketing and many more.
Course Content
Year 9
The first year of the course will be thematic-based project work that will enable students to build up the skills and design process techniques needed to successfully complete the GCSE course. This includes learning to sew, plastics, dying techniques, mono-printing and felting. Students will complete a series of short, linked creative workshops using a variety of materials and techniques. They will then develop a design and make a garment incorporating some of these techniques. Students will study a variety of designers developing their knowledge of design techniques and processes.
GCSE Textiles is a coursework subject that enables students to fulfil their potential and is individually highly rewarding. Students will be expected to plan and develop work beyond lesson time and supported study is offered most evenings. Please be aware that students will be required to provide individual materials with an average cost of £70 over the three years, however they get to keep their creative outcomes.
Unit 1: Coursework - Years 10 and 11
Students will complete two thematic coursework projects. They will follow a structured project plan and with teacher guidance, produce projects personal to them. They will gain confidence in creative design processes and the choices that are needed to develop them. Students develop the ability to evaluate and understand design elements and to apply these to their own design work. They will have extra-curricular trips to London museums and galleries to develop their knowledge and techniques.
Unit 2: Externally Set Assignment - Year 11
Students are given a theme by the exam board. They then complete the design process using sketchbook work, investigating and researching, developing and refining ideas, producing samples and a final outcome. Students are encouraged to develop individual work and explore a wide range of ideas with the outcome produced in the timed two-day exam at the end of Year 11
Contact Name
Mrs H Roberts – Head of Art
Contact Email
A Level
This is a two year, course building aptitude and skills in fashion, textiles and making textile artworks. Students gain confidence in working with fabric in creative ways. The focus is on experimentation, critical analysis and individual development.
Students will develop skills in design, pattern cutting, dyeing, sewing and many techniques as well as written research and analysis. Students will be required to provide individual materials with an average cost of £70 over two years.
The College expects students to have
Grade 6 or above in Art and/or Textiles and a good portfolio of work.
Progression
The Fashion and Textiles industry is one of the largest in the UK and can lead to a large variety of career opportunities. Designer, fashion journalist, pattern cutter, tailor, fashion buyer, marketing and much more.
Course Content
Component 1: Coursework - year 1
At the start of the first year students experiment with printing, dyeing, construction and machine work as well as analytical skills which are developed in an open-ended series of workshops. Students are encouraged to pursue their own ideas and be creative in their use of the textiles studio. Students are taught how to develop critical and analytical skills and take part in group discussion. All students present their work in large scale sketch-pads and produce a final outcome shortly after Christmas.
From February until June of the first year students develop a personal project that enables them to work in an individual direction. Visits to national galleries are organised to assist in their response to artists’ work. Students produce final outcomes for this project in May and June.
Component 1: Coursework - year 2
Personal Study and mock exam: At the start of the second year students are helped to develop ideas for their Personal Study. This usually takes the form of a written and illustrated essay in which students show the depth of understanding that they have about the ideas that inform and inspire their work, through investigating textile artists and designers. The Personal Study element is worth approximately 18% of coursework marks.
Students complete a mock exam project in which they develop individual ideas and experiments, culminating in an ambitiousfinal outcome made over three days at the start of January of the second year.
Component 2 : Externally Set Assignment
A theme is given by the exam board as a starting point for the students’ own ideas. Students begin work on this in February and generate work in sketch pads or portfolios before producing a final practical outcome over three days in May.
