Year 7,8, do they need to use sewing machines?

[babasheep]

Just that really. My dd s going to yr 7 I don't really know what are required and what are handy to have?! Got a 22yr old sewing machine hope it still works and just wonder I should have serviced for dd.

Textiles is only a waste of time, as is DT because school doesnt set it into DCs like DD1 who are interested and want to learn and the DD2's of this world who just muck about.

How is textiles a "work pathway"? I did textiles, purely because I enjoyed sewing, creating things that were beautiful and useful, never had any intention of working in the local t shirt factory ( as we girls were told was our destiny). Some kids might combine it with art and end up in the massively successful fashion industry, but many will take their new skills away and use it for (shock horror) fun.
(Btw, I think all the additional subjects -music, art, drama, dt are essential to a rounded education. Watch them vanish over the next few years)

I think mucking about types are a problem in every set, how it worked in my schools.

I know someone just completed a 2.1 in alternative materials engineering course (RG Uni if that kind of thing matters to you). They're doing things like designing water filters out of tough textiles.

School friend of mine was good at art. She did A level and the Art foundation as it was then (don't know if it still is) and did a degree in textile design and technology. She had to have certain science qualifications as well as art ones to get on the course.

And yes it can be respected subject - DD of a friend is just about to apply to our local art college to fashion and textiles and the awarding body is a RG university which means the entry requirements are quite tough. It certainly isn't an easy option for the bottoms sets.

Aren't kids who mess about a problem in all classes in all subjects? As it happens they are sort of set for textiles in DS's school in that the technology group he was in was determined by the maths group he was in. I assume it was for timetable purposes but the upshot was that the high achievers were all in the same group which meant less of the children who mess around. I won't say none because no class is without the difficult ones. I don't think setting for textiles will solve that.

also gives students who aren't particularly academic something which they may excell in. They were in a different group from some of their form so encouraged new friendship groups.

yes students did mess about but would do so in all lessons

Mucking about in craft subjects is a slightly different problem, than in academic subjects.

In most things setting by academic ability, means at least the top two sets do somework, some of the time.

Unset, textiles is treated as a doss by all, but a few DC, who really like making things. They are hard groups to disapline and all abilities are tempted to take the piss.

This is magnified by the fact the pupils know, school doesn't value the subjects either as they aren't time tabled enough time to finish anything.

This is very sad because practical subjects are valuable not only for some career paths, but for fun and relaxation through school and adult life.

DD1 has no intention of going to art school, but is doing A level art to stay sane, after finding GCSE a blessed (if hard work) release at GCSE.

If they were able to enjoy textiles, DT etc further down the school I think many other DCs would do the same and we wouldn't get school is forcing my A* DC to waste a GCSE on art/DT threads.

My classes are all unsetted. They do not mess about! Most of them work really hard!

I would have thought that was the norm Oranges, for any decent teacher which you clearly are. There will always always be some that are prone to mess about but they can be handled surely? I personally know DS's textile teacher (she comes to my quilt group as it happens and I did an evening class with her a few years back, before DS went to the school) and I can't imagine she takes any crap either. In no way is the subject a doss for anybody.

I would never have messed with my sewing and HE teachers back in the day. They were too scary!!

Oranges, thats nice to hear, but do they actually have time to finish things and get the sarisfaction of a job well done.

The 'Messing about' in DT subjects takes many forms, not simply obvious bad behaviour, but a lot of not listening, not getting on with the job and endless requiring things explaining over again.

Children know schools, society and many of their parents don't properly respect craft subjects so they don't either.

I try my best with DD2, but she hates craft of all forms, except cooking and believe s she's usless at it.

She isn't, but the tiny amount of time devoted to DT and needlework and the total impossibility of ever finishing anything really doesn't help.

No textiles? All the schools we visited have to do some sewing even boys.

It's 2014 not 1974 it is so depressing that sewing is still seen as a girls' subject

Rabbit - I sew and knit at home but not for a living. That's not exactly vocational.

Basic needle skills are as important as cooking skills. Obviously, you won't become ill if you can't sew a bit, but you can save a lot of money by knowing how to mend or adjust garments or furnishings or at least having the basic skills that you can build on if you find yourself needing to make a school shirt last another couple of months so you don't have to replace it out of your food budget.

Ours usually finish their stuff tbh.

Sashh, what really mean was that it is available for both genders. I am an old aged mum.