You will explore textile design as a creative medium, producing functional or decorative pieces using a range of processes and materials. Key areas include:

• Developing ideas through research into textile designers, artists, and both historical and contemporary contexts (e.g. fashion, interiors, accessories).
• Experimenting with techniques such as weaving, knitting, stitching, printing (block, screen, digital), dyeing, batik, embroidery, fabric manipulation, felting, appliqué, and embellishment.
• Recording observations, experiments, and ideas in sketchbooks or digital formats, supported by annotations, critical analysis, and mood boards.
• Realising personal intentions through final outcomes such as garments, accessories, surface patterns, installations, or constructed textiles. The course covers areas such as fashion design, interior textiles, costume, and fine art textiles, emphasising composition, colour, texture, sustainability, and how textiles communicate ideas or serve purposes in the real world.

100% non‑exam assessment (coursework and externally set assignment; no written exams):

• Component 1: Portfolio - 96 marks, 60% - A sustained personal project showing the journey from initial ideas to realisation, plus further work completed during the course. Internally assessed and externally moderated by AQA; no time limit.
• Component 2: Externally set assignment - 96 marks, 40% - Respond to one starting point from the AQA exam paper, followed by a preparatory period and 10 hours of supervised time to produce final outcomes. Internally assessed and externally moderated. Both components address four equal assessment objectives: developing ideas (AO1), experimenting/refining (AO2), recording (AO3), and presenting a personal response (AO4). Work is graded 9-1 based on practical portfolios, sketchbooks, samples, and final pieces.

A‑levels in Textile Design (or Art & Design with a textiles focus), Level 3 BTEC in Art & Design, Fashion & Textiles, or Creative Media, and apprenticeships in fashion, textiles, or design. Students can progress to sixth form or college (e.g. Stoke‑on‑Trent College or other local providers) to study degrees in fashion design, textile design, surface pattern, interior design, or related creative fields.

• Fashion Designer
• Textile Designer
• Surface Pattern Designer
• Costume Designer (theatre / film)
• Interior Designer
• Accessory / Jewellery Designer
• Fashion Stylist
• Printmaker
• Garment Technologist
• Sustainable Textiles Specialist
• Retail Roles
• Manufacturing Roles
• Marketing Roles
• Creative Industry Roles

The UK fashion and textiles sector is large and growing, offering opportunities in freelance, high street, luxury, and eco‑design.

This specialist course is highly practical and hands‑on, allowing you to focus on textiles while developing a unique personal style in a supportive setting. It suits students who enjoy sewing, printing, experimenting with fabrics, and creating wearable or decorative items, with no prior experience required. It forms part of the Creative Arts offer, giving access to facilities for stitching, dyeing, and construction, helping students build confidence, a professional portfolio, and the skills needed for further creative pathways.

Extremely useful - textiles and fashion are major UK industries, with increasing demand for skills in design, sustainability, and production as ethical and eco‑friendly practices grow in importance. The course develops highly transferable abilities such as creativity, project management, technical proficiency (e.g. machinery, software), problem‑solving, and visual communication, all valued by employers in design, retail, manufacturing, and the broader creative industries. GCSE Textile Design helps you build a strong portfolio for apprenticeships or employment, deepens your understanding of materials and processes used in everyday products (clothing, homewares), and fosters innovation in a consumer‑driven world. It also supports personal expression through making, preparing you for opportunities in an increasingly sustainable and creative economy.