Summer is short, but it's long enough to complete one or two online courses that could genuinely transform your teaching next year. The key is choosing courses that directly address gaps in your subject knowledge or curriculum — not just ones that look interesting.
Here are the top online textiles courses from Textile Skills Centre to consider completing before September, grouped by focus area.
For GCSE Teachers: Planning & Assessment
If you're teaching GCSE textiles, strong planning and assessment practice is the single biggest lever for improving student outcomes. These courses give you a structured framework for both:
- Planning, Assessment & Progression: GCSE D&T Textiles — covers scheme of work design, assessment strategies, and progression frameworks specific to the D&T specification
- Planning, Assessment & Progression: GCSE Art & Design Textiles — the same rigorous approach for the Art & Design pathway
Both are fully on-demand, so you can work through them at your own pace across the summer.
For Building Practical Skills: Pattern Drafting
Pattern drafting is consistently one of the areas textiles teachers feel least confident teaching. These courses take you from the very beginning:
- Pattern Drafting: Simple Basic Blocks — skirt, dartless bodice, sleeve and dartless dress blocks in one course
- Pattern Drafting: Simple Bodice, Sleeve & Dress Block — focused on the bodice and dress block
- Pattern Drafting: Making and Fitting Toiles — Skirt Block — the essential next step after drafting your first block
Browse all pattern drafting courses →
For Surface Textiles & Decoration
Surface textiles techniques are at the heart of most GCSE coursework — and the more techniques you know, the richer the options you can offer students:
- Surface Textiles Techniques (Online) — a broad overview of surface decoration methods
- Creating Artworks With Bondaweb — a focused deep-dive into one of the most versatile classroom techniques
- Creating with Dissolvable Fabric — ideal for adding a wow-factor technique to your repertoire
- Mark Making For Textiles — essential for supporting students' design development
Browse all surface skills courses →
For Drawing & Design Development
Strong drawing underpins strong textiles work — and many teachers feel underprepared to model this for students. The Drawing for Textiles series addresses this directly:
- Drawing for Textiles 1 — observational drawing for textiles contexts
- Drawing for Textiles 2: Textile Artefact Making — connecting drawing to making
- Drawing for Textiles 3: Experimental Image Making — pushing into more experimental territory
For Sustainability
If sustainability feels like a topic you're covering superficially, this course will give you the depth and confidence to teach it properly:
- Sustainability & Climate Change in Textiles Education — designed specifically for textiles teachers, covering the circular economy, ethical production, and how to embed sustainability meaningfully across your curriculum
There's also a FREE Sustainability in Textiles resource — a great starting point before diving into the full course.
For Primary Teachers
Teaching textiles at primary level requires a different approach — and these courses are designed with that in mind:
- 1: Primary — What Are Textiles? — the ideal introduction for primary teachers new to textiles
Not Sure Where to Start?
If you're unsure which course is right for you, start by identifying the area of your curriculum where students struggle most — that's usually the best indicator of where your own CPD will have the greatest impact.