Art and Design (Textiles)

Course summary

In Years 10 and 11 students produce a coursework folio accounting for 60% of the GCSE. Sketches, personal photographs and observational studies document personal creative investigations, and ideas are refined via experimentation with different working methods and visits to galleries and museums for inspiration. Costume pieces, accessories and fashion designs are always popular, but there is also scope to work conceptually through wall hangings, panels and 3D textile forms. In Year 11, a timed practical accounts for the remaining 40% of the course. At A Level, students present their studies, research and design developments through worksheets as well as annotated sketchbooks. Themes are selected that focus on personal engagement and ideas are explored through analytical observation and individual study. Technical skills are extended and honed, while materials are used in inventive ways in a variety of personal responses. An extended essay of 3,000 words explores an aspect of textiles, costume or fashion relating to the individual creative journey. All work is exhibited at the end of the course with 60% of marks allocated to folio work and 40% to a timed personal project.