Fashion and Textiles
Creative Technology at its finest
Head of Department: Ms S Winn
The world is going through its biggest change ever and we need to ensure we have a society that can deal with the challenges this brings. We want our fashion and textiles curriculum to prepare students for their future lives in an increasingly automated world where creativity, design, prototyping, testing and making will be a highly desirable meta-skill. Opportunities will be immense for those who have the imagination to create something new.
From high street clothing to F1 car parts, London bus seats to the fashion catwalk, we know we cannot live without fashion and textiles and the UK fashion & textiles industry is thriving! The UK is not only at the forefront of innovative fashion and textile design, it provides employment to 880,000 people across the sector and accounts for £62 Billion (6%) of the UK economy.
At Gumley House School students use skills and knowledge in a safe and informed way to be able to design and make ambitious and challenging outcomes that address the needs of the client or audience in the design brief. Fashion and Textiles contributes towards the Design and Technology skills, alongside Art & Design, Food Technology and Computing (mapped here).
CURRICULUM DOCUMENTS (FASHION & Textiles)
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Learning Journey (KS3 to KS5)Year 7 Curriculum MapYear 8 Curriculum MapYear 9 Curriculum Map |
'Never Forget' Dress
We aim to:
- Encourage our students to become young fashion & textile designers who are aware of changes in society’s needs and demands, with a focus more on quality and value.
- Challenge students to be innovative and creative when exploring and developing fashion & textile based solutions and products for a target market, while considering sustainability and the environmental issues of production.
- Generate interest and enthusiasm for fashion & textiles by giving students a variety of creative opportunities using traditional and contemporary approaches.
- Develop skills in a range of methods, processes and techniques and enable students to experience a wealth of approaches through various media.
- Nurture students to be flexible, intuitive, collaborative and creative – essential skills needed for a workforce in a world undergoing profound changes.
Key Concepts
- Knowledge that underpins effective use of skills, process and attitudes in fashion and textiles such as roles, responsibilities, creative process, materials, techniques and processes.
- Development of key skills that prove aptitude in fashion and textiles, such as generating and visually communicating creative responses to fashion and textile briefs
- Process that underpins effective ways of working in fashion and textiles, such as generating ideas, prototyping, development, review and refinement
- Attitudes that are considered most important in fashion and textiles, including planning, organisation and communication.
Our hope is that through Fashion & Textiles students are given the opportunity to develop skills that will support our society to become relevant, economically stable and add value to our lives.
We encourage students to trial and experiment new techniques and work with different equipment and materials. We encourage students to ‘give it a go’ and instil a love of learning and creativity.
Fashion & Textiles in Year 7
Fashion and Textiles Curriculum Map (Year 7 Rotation)
In Year 7 you will have two 50 minute lessons a week in Fashion & Textiles during a 9 week rotation. You will work on an assignment brief and address the needs of the client or audience who commissions or buys fashion & textiles work.
The skills you will develop are:
- Using a sketchbook to develop ideas and skills
- Use of specialist equipment
- Research, collecting relevant information and development
- Watercolour skills on paper and then on fabric
- Painting patterns on fabric inspired by a theme
- Experimenting with threads to add texture to your fabric
- Merging paints and modern embroidery techniques
- Develop design and presentation skills
- Reflect, review and refine skills as you progress towards an outcome that meets the brief
Assessment
Homework is regularly marked, in line with the whole school marking criteria (Assessment for Learning). Self-assessment and teacher discussion is used to help students improve their work.
Types of Homework:
- ICT based research on the theme
- Painting
- Practice of modern embroidery techniques
- Work on their final outcome
Books and Resources used:
- Google Classroom
Fashion and Textiles in Year 8
Fashion & Textiles Curriculum Map (Year 8 Rotation)In Year 8 you will have two 50 minute lessons a week in Fashion & Textiles during a 9 week rotation.
You will work on an assignment brief and address the needs of the client or audience who commissions or buys fashion & textiles work.
The skills you will develop are:
- Research, collecting relevant information and development on a fashion designer linked to the brief
- Explore a variety of fashion and textiles techniques linked to the chosen fashion designer
- Develop design and presentation skills through fashion illustration
- Using a sketchbook to develop ideas and skills
- Paper manipulation to reflect exciting 3D shapes in fashion & textiles
- Weaving with recycled materials to create texture and pattern
- Reflect, review and refine skills as you progress towards an outcome that meets the brief
Books and Resources used: Google Classroom
Assessment
Homework is regularly marked, in line with the whole school marking criteria (Assessment for Learning). Self-assessment and teacher discussion is used to help students improve their work.
Types of Homework:
- ICT based research on the chosen designer
- Fashion illustration
- Weaving practice
- Paper manipulation tasks
- Work on their final outcome
Fashion and Textiles in Year 9
Fashion & Textiles Curriculum Map (Year 9 Rotation)
If you have chosen fashion & textiles as a rotation subject in Year 9 you will have two 50 minute lessons a week. This will be for half the year. You will work on an assignment brief and address the needs of the client or audience who commissions or buys fashion & textiles work.
The skills you will develop are:
- Mark making on paper and fabric
- Using a sketchbook to develop ideas and skills
- Exploring the work of others designers to try similar or work in a similar style
- Collage designing
- Developing practical skills through the exploration of materials, techniques and processes such as tie dye, crashing, plastic entrapment, transfer paints, modern embroidery and machine embroidery
- Responding to a client brief
- Research to help develop understanding and inspire ideas of audience needs: tastes, trends, hobbies, habits, lifestyles, social groups and behaviour.
- Identify common themes and approaches to find unique selling points (USPs) that make work stand out.
- Visually communicate ideas in fashion and textiles for a fashion accessory through image collection, information about theme, similar work, swatches, mood boards and sketches.
- Develop constructed fashion & textiles skills, surface colour and decoration leading to a fashion accessory outcome.
- Reflect, review and refine skills as you progress towards an outcome that meets the brief
Assessment:
Homework is regularly marked, in line with the whole school marking criteria (Assessment for Learning). Self-assessment and teacher discussion is used to help students improve their work.
Types of Homework:
- Fashion illustration
- Research on designers/themes
- Collecting reference material
- Annotation in sketchbook
- Work on their final outcome
Fashion and Textiles in Years 10 and 11 (BTEC)
- Award: BTEC Art and Design Practice (Fashion) Tech Award
Exam Board: Pearson Edexcel
What is the importance of studying Fashion and Textiles at KS4?
This qualification will offer you the opportunity to build the knowledge, understanding and practical skills you need to progress to further learning, and will also give you an engaging and stimulating introduction to the world of fashion. You will explore some of the key areas within the creative industries, learning how to address the needs of clients by ensuring that your fashion work meets the requirements of a creative project brief.- What are the requirements when completing the non-examined assessment?
Assessors must ensure that evidence is authentic to a learner through setting valid assignments and supervising them during the assessment period. Assessors must take care not to provide direct input, instructions or specific feedback that may compromise authenticity. - What resources are available to use?
You will have the use of all equipment in the Fashion and Textiles workshop, including computerised sewing machines, sublimation printer and heat press. - What extracurricular activities will be available?
In the past we have had speakers from industry e.g. a designer from Sara Berman, fashion designer Jane Bowler, a buyer from Sainsbury’s clothing range, trips to the V&A Museum and a workshop at Kew gardens. - What is required of me when completing the course?
You need to demonstrate commitment to practical work because the distinguishing feature of this course is its practical nature. Equipment you will need includes a black fine liner, sketchbooks, a set of colouring pencils, fabric and materials for the projects. - How will I know if I would be successful at it?
You’ll enjoy this course if you: - Enjoy fashion and researching new trends and fashion designers
- Are self- motivated and well organised, and enjoy designing and making products
- Want to develop a range of skills such as fabric and surface decoration techniques and garment construction techniques
- Like fashion drawing and interpreting your designs and ideas on paper
- Are prepared to work hard and meet deadlines
- Achieving the Highest Grade
The Fashion and Textiles Department achieves consistently high grades. Internal assessment of 60% has been designed to relate to the achievement of application of the conceptual underpinning for the sector through realistic tasks and activities. This style of assessment promotes deep learning by ensuring the connection between knowledge and practice.
- What further study options are available?
The course provides excellent links into careers in fashion; designing for the stage; product design and the textile industry. It also links into further and higher educational courses including A Level Art and Design Textiles. - What careers could I consider?
Fashion Designer. Fabric Designer. Pattern Cutter. Costume Designer. Fashion Journalist. Sportswear Designer. Stylist. Window Dresser. Clothes Buyer. Merchandiser. Fashion Promotion. Retail management, etc. - What are the aims of the course?
This exciting qualification in fashion has been developed for young learners who want to study textiles in a practical way. It has a practical, skills-based focus, developing the core skills needed to design and make fashion and textile products. It is equivalent to a GCSE qualification and will count towards performance tables. It is considered as equal to a GCSE in fulfilling the entry requirements for post 16 study. Year 9 will be concentrating on skills development. Year 10 and 11 will be working on the three assessed components. - How will I be assessed on the course?
- 2021-2023 Cohort
Component 1: Generating Ideas in Art and Design (Fashion). Internal assessment 30%
Component 2: Develop Practical Skills in Art and Design (Fashion). Internal assessment 30%
Component 3: Responding to a Client Brief. External assessment (40%) - 2022-2024 Cohort
Component 1: Creative Practice in Art and Design - investigating art and design practice to inform generation and communication of ideas and developing practical skills through exploration of specialist materials, techniques and processes. Internal, externally moderated (60%) - Component 2: Responding to a Brief - applying art and design skills and techniques to develop a response to a brief. Assessment type: External synoptic (40%)
Textiles in Sixth Form
For more information on the content of Art & Design: Textiles at Key Stage 5, please visit our Sixth Form Course Guide.
Where can Textiles take me?
Become an illustrator, graphic designer, photographer, stylist, personal stylist, personal shopper, home stager, teacher, tutor, lecturer, surface pattern designer, fabric technician, machinist, pattern cutter, videographer, animator, film producer/director, art editor/director, game and product designer, museum/gallery curator, fashion designer, interior designer, furniture designer, set designer, costume designer, carpenter, artist.