A Level Fashion & Textiles

Please refer to EN's Entry Requirements Guide for specific advice on our Admissions Policy. This guide is supplied at interview to prospective students and is also available to Schools & Careers Advisers.

There is a hands-on practical start to AS covering a broad range of processes to suit complete beginners as well as more experienced students.

As the course progresses it gradually becomes more independent with a focus on small group teaching through workshops and 1:1 support; this allows students to develop their own interests and produce personal work in a range of textile outcomes such as fashion garments, interior furnishings and lighting, wall hangings, jewellery and accessories as well as lengths of printed cloth. Students are offered support through individual feedback and tutorials.

At A level students pick a focus for their studies around a specific aspect of textile design and put into practice skills learnt at AS to make more ambitious and challenging final pieces. There is a strong focus on progression where students are supported to develop their professional portfolios for use in seeking employment or university places.

The textiles room has been designed to create a flexible studio space allowing students access to sewing machines and computers in every lesson as well as designated spaces used for pattern cutting, heat processes, knitting machines and design work. We also have access to a newly built print room which adjoins the Textiles room for screen printing and experimental image transfer techniques.

In Textiles you will cover traditional and non-traditional skills with exploration in dyeing, printing, hand and machine embroidery, batik and digital textile design as well as having opportunities to use unconventional textile processes working with mixed media such as wood, metal and plastics.

Workshops are offered in both AS and A-level allowing small groups or individual students to learn skills directly linked to their individual areas of interest. These include but are not limited to: knitting (machine and hand), crochet, weaving, macramé, screen printing, applique, photographic transfer methods, embroidery and garment construction.

The Textiles team provide excellent learning opportunities outside the classroom organising regular visits to London for exhibitions and opportunities to record directly from sources. They are also part of the yearly visit to Amsterdam.

Textiles students are also given the opportunity to showcase their work through competitions, fashion shows and community projects.

Exam - 40%

Coursework - 60%

Grade 4 or above in GCSE Art or Design Technology Textiles or an equivalent Level 2 qualification. Students without this grade will need to show evidence of artistic and creative ability by submitting a portfolio of work and be interviewed on or before Enrolment Day by a member of the Art & Design team. The portfolio could include photography, drawing, fashion ideas, mood boards or any textiles you have made at home.

Assessment

There are 4 components to complete across the 2 year qualification. There are no formal theory exams, but simply a final outcome made under timed exam conditions at the end of each year. AS grades do not count towards A level qualification.

- AS: Component 1: Portfolio (coursework unit) 60% AS

- Component 2: Externally Set Assignment (10 hour practical exam) 40% AS A Level: Component 1: Personal Investigation (coursework unit) 60%

- Component 2: Externally Set assignment (15 hour practical exam) 40%

Students ­find this subject a creative complement to other subjects. Most use it as a direct progression route to HE in a number of fashion and/or textile related courses such as Surface Pattern Design, Print for Interiors, Print for fashion, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing and Purchasing, Fashion Atelier, Hand Embroidery, Digital Textiles, Textile Design, Knitwear Design, Interior Design, Craft and so on.

Some also use it to progress to other art based courses often supported by studying additional art subjects within the department. This includes Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, 3D Design and Photography.

EN also offer a 1 year L4 Art Foundation course which supports students through a series of diagnostic projects to support progression in to university, apprenticeships or employment.