Curriculum Information
Subject rationale – Why study the subject? What benefits does it bring?
Through our Textiles curriculum at Bishop Challoner, students will develop a range of skills involving creativity and imagination. Students need to be taught to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. Students have a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines including STEM and Art as well as cultural influences, both historical and from around the world.
We intend for our learners to develop a secure knowledge of materials and textiles techniques which are applied to a variety of prototypes. Learners will develop competent sewing skills through the products they make, building knowledge of different sewing techniques. Our curriculum helps to show progression through a diverse range of topics including design movements, materials and their properties, interior design and fashion. These topics help students to explore outcomes, develop skills, make high quality products, evaluate and test their ideas.
KS3 curriculum overview
Year 7 - Design movements pen pot project
Pupils study 6 design movements from 20th century including Art and crafts, Art Nouveau, De Still, Bauhaus, Art Deco and Memphis. They use these design movements as inspiration to design of the shape and pattern on the pen pot they produce. Pupils produce their printed design using software called Grid magic to create a repeating pattern. The design is then sublimation printed onto Vilene fabric (interfacing, none woven fabric). Pupils learn basic pattern drafting skills by first modelling in paper to create 3D paper models of their pen pot, these are used later as a pattern for cutting out their fabric. Pupils then learn to use the sewing machine (zig zag stitch) to create a 3D shape and add a base by hand stitching with slip stitching.
Year 8 - Felt sports armband
Pupils research different styles of sports armband for holding electronic devices such as mp3 players and phones. Pupils are taught about felting and its uses in art and product design, as well as looking at how felt is used in different cultures such as Mongolian yurts. Pupils are taught about different ways to make fabric (weaving, knitting and bonded fabric). They then learn felting techniques such as wet felting, dry felting, Nuno felting and resist felting and make a piece of felt. Pupils research different sports to use as an inspiration for a logo and design a logo for their armband. They then draft a small pattern for the logo onto a pattern for the armband. They make their logo from felt using the technique Applique and hand embroidery stitches to join the pieces together. To make the armband they use straight stitch on the sewing machine and add fastenings including Velcro and a plastic loop fastening for the strap.
Year 9 - Identity wall-hanging
Pupils identify traits of their own identity to use to produce a personalised wall hanging. They are taught about different decorative techniques which focus on printing. They learn about silk screen printing, block printing and transfer printing. They produce samples of all of these techniques. They analyse existing wall-hangings and the techniques used in them. They look at well-known wall hangings such as the Bayeux tapestry and the Coventry tapestry. Each pupil then designs their own wall hanging and produces a 2D design for a stencil to be screen printed.
Pupils can also use the other printing techniques as well as Applique and hand embroidery (year 8 skills). Pupils use the sewing machines to shape and finish (hem) the edges of their wall-hanging and make a channel to insert a dowel to hang up the wall-hanging.
Career opportunities
Studying Textiles Technology can lead to a wide range of exciting careers including
These include:
- Fashion design
- Surface pattern design
- Textile design
- Pattern making /grading
- Seamstress
- Print design
- Textiles research
- Apparel manufacture,
- Product Design
- Interior Design
- Set design
- Furniture Design
- Costume Design
to name just a few.