A Level Textiles

A Level Textile Design

Exam Board AQA

Why Study? Textiles is a unique subject and way of studying that can lead to a range of careers in the creative and fashion industries. It also helps to develop skills and competencies that employers look for, such as innovation, independence, open mindedness and resilience.

Students will produce practical and critical/contextual work in one or more Textile Design areas, including fashion design, fashion textiles, costume design, printed and/or dyed fabric and materials, domestic textiles, wallpaper, interior design, constructed textiles, art textiles and textile installation.

Students will be introduced to a variety of experiences employing a range of textiles media, processes and techniques. Year 12 is based on experimentation with new media, improving your practical, research and analytical skills, exploring themes and developing exciting and original responses. You will build a portfolio of work and find out what you enjoy, and what you’d like to explore through your Personal Investigation (Component 1)

In the summer term, you will begin the Personal Investigation, a creative journey of your own choice. You will identify a theme, issue, concept or idea to fully explore through practical experimentation, eventually focussing to produce your own original outcome/s and artistic responses. There will be a 1000-3000 word essay to support your practical studies.

The Personal Investigation continues into Y13.

Component 2 is an externally set assignment that will take place from February until May in Y13, giving you a choice of interesting starting points.

Each component is internally marked. AQA moderators will then visit to check the marks are in line with national standards. Throughout the course, you will receive individual tutorials, group tutorials and teacher reviews.

• Component 1: Personal Investigation (60% of A Level)

Portfolio of Art, Craft & Design work, practically investigating a chosen theme or idea, supported by essay

• Component 2: Externally Set Assignment (40% of A Level)

Preparatory period plus 15 hours supervised time

Students undertaking this course will be expected to have gained normal entry requirements plus at least a GCSE grade 5 or a BTEC L2 Merit in an Art and Design subject

Textiles helps develop skills that all employers look for, such as creativity and problem solving, but there is a range of careers that studying Textiles can lead to. Examples include working within the fashion industry, costume design for film, theatre and television, interior design, props design, soft furnishings or textiles designer, retail, marketing and advertising or working as a freelance, independent craftsperson.

This course is an ideal choice for students wishing to progress to Art/ Textiles related courses in further/higher education.