Sixth Form Course Guide 2013-14 - The Purbeck School

Textiles
This subject is for anyone who enjoys designing and making creative and unique pieces of
textile work. This course has been designed for students who want to take a creative and
experimental approach to fashion, textiles and product design. The course covers a breath of
skills from investigating, analysing, to designing practical outcomes. This course could lead on
to many applications from working in the fashion industry as a buyer or designer to working
in interior architecture, theatre and film work.
Summary of course content
This specification has been designed to encourage candidates to take a broad view of
technology and design related to textiles.
Students will develop their abilities to design and make products and to appreciate the complex relationships
between design, materials, manufacturing and marketing. Textiles A Level provides wide opportunities for study,
ranging from fashion and aesthetics to industrial uses of textiles and from creative and individual pieces of work to
aspects of manufacturing and industrial commercial practice.
The course has been designed to take students on to a higher level of Textiles study prior to a University course.
Equally, it would interest students who have a flair for textiles but who simply want to study textiles as part of a
planned route through Sixth Form studies. Therefore, it can be taken to AS Level only if desired.
Unit 1 – TEXT1
Materials, Components and Application
50% of AS, 25% of A Level. 2 hour written paper - 80 marks
Based primarily on Materials and Components and consisting of
three sections
Section 1 contains compulsory limited response questions
Section 2 offers a choice of one question from two
Section 3 contains one compulsory question
Where the course leads
Studying textiles can lead to a variety of exciting and well-paid careers in the fashion, design and textiles industry,
theatre and education. For example: Textiles or Fashion Designer, Theatre Designer, Visual Merchandiser, Pattern
Maker, Stylist, Editor, Fashion Illustrator, Fashion Photographer, Interior Designer.
It could also be used to enrich a portfolio of work for Art College and for courses such as Art Foundation. Textiles
can be studied with other creative courses such as Art but also goes well with other creative courses such as
language, Business Studies, Geography and Chemistry. Students who have studied textiles have gone on to study the
following university courses: BA Honours Fashion Retail Management at Birmingham City University, Interior Design,
Costume Design at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Entry Requirements: Students should be eligible to follow the Route A Pathway. Candidates who have not studied
textiles before will be considered.
Comments from Students;
‘Because it’s fun and I really enjoyed the making side of it at GCSE’.
‘Because I have always loved watching costume drama and it has been an
ambition to one day be able to do this myself’.
For further advice contact: Miss Shand
Unit 2 – TEXT2
Learning Through Designing and Making
50% of AS, 25% of A Level. Coursework –
approx. 50 hours - 80 marks
Written (or electronic) design portfolio
Manufactured outcome(s). Coursework
may take a number of forms: a single
design-and-make project, two smaller
projects and/or a portfolio of work.