Textiles A level for Politics & IR degree?

[Stormer]

DD, 17, is in Year 13, her last year of sixth form. She has autism, ADHD and anxiety and for those reasons has an EHPC. Her EHCP states as she's academic she needs to be at a mainstream school and she's been at small independents. She had to change sixth forms for the last term of Year 12 as her last sixth form were not meeting her needs by a long stretch and were awful.

She moved to her new sixth form and carried on doing her 3 A levels of English Lit, Economics and Politics. As her current school require all to do 4 A Levels in year 12, and then usually drop one, she also took up Textiles. She was doing really well with that but as she wants to read Politics and International Relations at university she dropped textiles for Year 13.

However... because she changed schools midway through A Levels she also changed exam boards, which meant she was somewhat behind. She's been struggling with focus as we haven't been able to find ADHD meds yet that help without causing awful side effects. I've just had a chat with her personal tutor about predicted grades and apparently DD is struggling with having three essay subjects and so isn't showing her potential.

It's been suggested she drop Economics as that's the one she is struggling with the most. It's the subject she's least enjoying by far. In contrast, she loved Economics GCSE and was a straight 9 student throughout for that. But she's finding the A level classes boring, particularly she's doing stuff she covered, and she's not focusing well enough. The idea by the school is if she drops that and does a subject that's not as essay based, she'll have more bandwidth for the other two.

We've been looking at universities and she's chosen her top two, which I agree with. She'll need to get AAB for those. She can achieve that for politics and English if she works hard but at the moment it's looking like she won't for Economics unless there's a big change. S. She has a good set of GCSESs: 10 GCSEs with 9 of them grade 7 and above, plus one 6.

She loved textiles and was doing really well in it, and it gave her a nice balance of doing something sensory and practical. So I'm thinking of suggesting she change from Economics to Textiles. However I'm worried that Politics, English Lit and Textiles isn't as academic and universities may be less likely to offer her a place. Thoughts?

[Stormer]

Thank you val, local and truffles. Well done on the A Star Truffles DD! So glad she enjoyed it.

@Localher0 I will take you up on your kind offer and PM you tomorrow, thank you.

[TrufflesForBreakfast]

@Stormer

Ah great to hear cheers @TrufflesForBreakfast

Did she do 3 A levels as opposed to 4?

And did she enjoy Textiles?

Sorry @Stormer - been off MN all day. She did three a levels and absolutely loved Textiles - she got an A*. It was full on in terms of time spent but provided a bit of a balance to her more 'serious' subjects. She loves making clothes in her spare time so it was almost as much a hobby as a chore!

[Localher0]

My DD did textiles, Eng Lit & psychology A levels. She also had ADHD and ASD with both diagnosed in Yr 12. Tbh Textiles was a lovely relief from the essay subjects and actually provided some mindfulness which helped her relax during the school day. DM me if you'd like more information on meds too as she's finally found something that works. She's currently doing an art foundation course before a textiles degree next year.

[valbyruta]

Have only skim read so far. My dc1 did A levels in Art & Design, English Literature and History, and is currently studying History at Oxbridge.

Art A level was the most time consuming, and in some ways, more challenging than the other subjects but has definitely been helpful in certain modules

[Verbena87]

@Dannexe is right for most courses but not textiles, it’s not a revision subject. There is a personal investigation unit of work where pupils select a focus (eg how would i translate the themes and mood of this novel into a series of textile pieces, or explore character achetypes from fairytales through costume design, or producing an installation interrogating government policy on covid, or depictions of flowers from 17th century to now, or…it can be anything really that they can respond to visually and using textile processes.), which is underway now and will finish January. Students produce a portfolio of practical work and a final textiles outcome for this, along with a written essay which includes reference to relevant artists/designers and critical reflection on their own creative practice. 60% of mark.

Then they choose an externally set stimulus, develop a body of work in response to it and plan and trial for a final textile piece, which they then actually make in the 15 hour exam in May, so they get their exam question February-ish and respond fully in May.

work from the majority of y12 might or might not get submitted depending on relevance and quality. It is mostly experimentation and skills building.

[BirdinaHedge]

Hmmm, can't speak for other universities, but I teach in a much more arts/humanities field, and we sometimes have the reverse of your DD's A level range - that is, we have applicants with 2 arts/creative/essay subjects, plus, for example, Physics or Maths.

When I interview them (we still interview) I ask about the mix. I want to hear a coherent narrative about how the mix of stereotypically A&H (eg English and French), and stereotypically STEM (eg Maths) works, and why.

So if your DD can say in her Personal Statement that she's interested in the mix of subjects with a coherent intellectual reason eg Textiles developing her practical problem solving skills, and playing to her kinaesthetic or visual learning abilities, then I think that works.

But it's an excellent example of a really useful question to ask at Open Days of her target universities!

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

No, it’s the scientific theory that makes Dt a STEM subject.

Sorry

[Stormer]

Yes. Is it still a STEM subject @ArseInTheCoOpWindow ?!

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

If it’s 60% coursework it’s the Art Textiles course.

Still shows breadth of study though.

[Stormer]

By whole term of it in the summer I mean the whole summer term, ie April to beginning of July. Not a course in the summer.

I’m going to ask the personal tutor to speak to the textiles teacher and get her view before deciding whether to broach it with DD. I wouldn’t be suggesting it if her personal tutor and head of sixth form hadn’t suggested it would be best for DD to change an option, but when it had been gently suggested to DD she change she said no. As expected, she doesn’t like change as a general rule. If I present her with this option of going back to textiles and how it will be good and won’t hinder her chances of getting to the Uni she wants grade permitting, she is likely to find that much more appealing.

[Stormer]

I’ve just checked @ArseInTheCoOpWindow and the one at DD’s school is Textile Design, AQA board. Is that the one that is the successor name wise to the one you taught on? It’s 60% coursework and 40% exam.

I didn’t know it was a STEM subject, that’s great.

Yes good points @Dannexe and obviously that’s my concern too. As I said above the grades she needs are AAB (textiles could be her B) and she did a whole term of it in the summer. Her textiles teacher gave her a glowing end of year report and said with work she could get a good grade. She said it wasn’t a problem starting the course when DD did.
The school DD is at has a good reputation for arts and design, the classes are small and DD is a weekly boarder so has more access to the studios. I wouldn’t consider suggesting the change if none of this was the case!

Another big plus is that DD loves the textiles teacher and the textile teacher really gets her; neither of these things are the case with the economics teacher and given DD’s autistic, this is important. The head of 6th form had told me before the summer break that the textiles teacher would be said if DD gave it up when they dropped from 4 to 3, and that whenever the head of 6th form saw DD in the textiles studio DD was head down completely focused. Again, not the case with Economics unfortunately. With textiles though DD and the others put their headphones in while they work. Being able to do that as well as the sensory element of doing something hands-on was a really good contrast for her to her essay subjects.

Sorry, musing aloud, this all helps!

[Dannexe]

I’m not a teacher though, just a parent of a Year 13.

[Dannexe]

I only asked because she will effectively be trying to do a whole A Level in a year which is not an easy ask. If she is therefore applying to high ranking universities which are likely to ask for higher grades she may find that difficult.

obviously it’s a meeting and a detailed discussion with the school but most schools will be getting to the end of content now and focussing on revision and exam technique and practice won’t they?

Id be concerned that the amount of time she will need to spend could impact on all of her subjects. So I’d want some firm reassurance from the school.

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

It also shows breadth of study.

It wasn’t the Art and Design one l taught, it was Textiles product design now known as Fashion/Textiles A level.

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

I taught Textiles A level (DT) for 20 years.

Its just another A level, you can get into any course with it, including RG and law. I’ve had nurses, midwives, scientists, sociologists, solicitors, marketing peeps and teachers take it. Amongst loads of others.

It also often cuts out the need for a foundation course for any design course. It’s a STEM subject, and the exam part is hard. It’s 50% coursework 50% exam.

[Stormer]

X posts on the number of A levels

Well done your DD getting all those offers.

[Stormer]

Ah great to hear cheers @TrufflesForBreakfast

Did she do 3 A levels as opposed to 4?

And did she enjoy Textiles?

[TrufflesForBreakfast]

And I should make clear, she applied for five courses at four unis, so no rejections on the strength of her a level subjects. Her other two subjects were 'strong' ones.

[TrufflesForBreakfast]

(Sorry, one of her A level subjects was textiles!)

[TrufflesForBreakfast]

Absolutely fine. Dd got offers for all the courses she applied to in business-related subjects from four Russell Group unis. One of her subjects was textiles.

[Stormer]

We still have quite a few university open days to go to but they’re all Russell Group universities in England with one or two that aren’t, mostly in the Midlands or in the North. None of them exclude Textiles A level. DD meets the requirements other than obviously not having her grades yet.

Why @Dannexe ?

[Dannexe]

Which universities?

[Stormer]

Thank you! I checked the requirements for her top university and all it says is no General Studies A Levels.

@Piggywaspushed DD’s also doing English Lit and Politics, not giving those up, so she has essay subjects.

I’ll have to see how she feels about going back to it and giving up Economics.

[Dotcheck]

Yes, it’s fine.
You can check entry requirements via www.ucas.com

[Piggywaspushed]

It doesn't matter one little bit which A levels you do for a politics degree. Obviously, most do history or politics- or an essay subject anyway- as one of the subjects but , otherwise, there are no requirements.