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Key details

Course area
Fashion and Textiles
Student type
Courses for 19+ students
Course type
Full-time Further Education course
Course level
Level 3
Start date

Tuesday 1st September 2026

Location
Adams Building Stoney Street, Nottingham, NG1 1NG
Course code
Parent course code:C059252 Child course code: Q059253
Apply now

Course introduction

This course is perfect if you are aged 19+ and want to develop your creative confidence, technical skills and academic understanding of fashion, with the aim of progressing onto a Fashion degree or related Higher Education course. You’ll need to be able to commit to studying in college 3 days a week.

Based in the heart of the city’s Creative Quarter in the historic Lace Market, you’ll study in a vibrant, creative environment where fashion, culture and industry meet. This course is designed to help you build both practical skills and critical thinking, preparing you for the demands of university-level study in fashion and the creative industries.

Throughout the course, you’ll develop your own creative practice by exploring the full fashion design process, including:

  • Fashion design and concept development
  • Pattern cutting and garment construction
  • Textiles for fashion, including surface design and material experimentation
  • Fashion illustration and visual communication
  • Research and trend analysis
  • Fashion contextual and critical studies
  • Digital skills for fashion, supporting design development and presentation

You’ll be encouraged to experiment, take creative risks and develop a strong personal identity as a designer, while building a fashion-focused portfolio that reflects your ideas, skills and ambitions. You’ll also gain valuable experience presenting your work in our end-of-year showcases, giving you the opportunity to exhibit your designs and celebrate your achievements.

Our tutors have extensive experience within the fashion and creative industries and will support you with portfolio development and progression, helping you take confident next steps towards Higher Education or creative career pathways.

You will learn:

  • How to develop fashion concepts through creative research, experimentation and idea development
  • The fundamentals of fashion design, including visual communication and presentation
  • Pattern cutting and garment construction techniques to realise design ideas
  • How to explore and apply textiles for fashion, including fabric manipulation and sampling
  • An understanding of fashion contextual and critical studies, exploring historical, cultural and contemporary fashion
  • How to use digital tools to support design development and portfolio presentation
  • Academic and critical thinking skills to prepare you for Higher Education study

You can expect a supportive, studio-based learning environment where creativity, experimentation and personal development are encouraged. Teaching is delivered through practical workshops, demonstrations, discussions and independent studio time, allowing you to develop confidence in both making and thinking as a fashion student. You’ll be supported by tutors with industry and Higher Education experience, who will guide you through the course, help you build strong study skills and support your progression plans. The course balances practical fashion work with research and contextual studies, and you’ll have the opportunity to showcase your work in an end-of-year fashion show.

All students will start on a 3-week Introduction to Access to HE course that will introduce the course, creative practice, theory and study skills. At the end of the three weeks, tutors will assess each students’ abilities and tutors will be able to decide if progression onto the full Access to HE course is the right choice in terms of student’s commitment and intentions to progress to Higher Education. If progression to the full Access to HE course is not suitable, a place on an adult part time courses in Fashion will be offered.

Course information

1 year

CAVA Access to HE Diploma: Creative Industries

You must be aged 19+ to apply for this course. 

As the majority of our Access students are returning to learning as adults, we consider a range of experience when accepting students onto an Access programme. All students will be assessed to see what level they are learning at, particularly the level of English and maths skills, as these will be key to success whilst on a programme at Nottingham College. Your experience and level of study will be assessed at interview and this will determine your offer of a place at College. 

You’ll need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 – 4 /A* – C including English and maths (equivalents may be considered), or Level 2 BTEC Diploma in a related subject at Merit. Plus a relevant portfolio of work or a demonstrated passion for the subject area. A GCSE in Maths and English is preferable.

It is not possible to study both GCSE English and Maths while on this course. You will be required to bring evidence of creative work to an informal interview to showcase your interest in Fashion. This may include Illustrations, Fashion Designs, Sewing, Textiles, Fashion Research.

Assessment on this course is entirely coursework-based, with no formal exams. Y

our progress will be assessed through a range of practical fashion projects, design development work, research and contextual studies, and written assignments designed to prepare you for study at Higher Education level. Assessment is ongoing, with regular feedback and support to help you develop your skills, confidence and independence as a learner. 

Your final assessment will include the submission of a fashion portfolio that reflects your creative journey and readiness for progression

On successful completion of this course, students typically progress onto further study at Foundation Degree or BA (Hons) level in Fashion, Fashion Design, Textiles or related creative subjects. The course is designed to prepare you for the academic and practical demands of Higher Education. Some students may also choose to progress into entry-level roles or further training within the fashion and wider creative industries.

You can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to help with the costs of your Access to HE course. Loan eligibility does not depend on your income and there are no credit checks.

If you progress on to degree level study and complete a full degree, Student Finance England will ‘write off’ any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe. This means you do not have to repay it.

You may be able to study this course for free if you are aged 19-23 and planning to study towards your first full Level 2 or first full Level 3.

If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss National, please visit our EU Settled Status scheme page for more information.

Careers related to this course

Select career:

Clothing, Fashion and Accessories Designers

Potential Earnings

£64,823.22

Average Earnings

£34,663.37

Source: Office for National Statistics' Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).

Pathways

Art, Performance and Design

People in these occupations create art and fine craftwork, produce and perform plays and motion pictures, and design graphics and other products.

Skills

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Mathematics

Using mathematics to solve problems.

Learning Strategies

Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
View more about this career

Economic data for careers is provided by Lightcast and also available through our Career Coach app. Job postings, employment and earnings information is represented at the regional level for the East Midlands.

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