Fashion, Sustainability and Textiles Education in England

A Scoping Review, Curriculum Analysis and Evidence Base for Reform

Abstract

Textiles education in England sits at a critical juncture. With the National Curriculum review already signalling an explicit requirement for sustainability to be embedded across subjects, including Design and Technology, the question of whether teachers are equipped to deliver this is key. The recent review by the Textile Skills Centre (2024) review found that whilst secondary textiles teachers are enthusiastic about sustainability, many lack the subject knowledge and confidence to embed it meaningfully within fashion and textiles teaching. This paper locates itself at the intersection of this professional gap and the policy moment created by the curriculum review. Drawing on a scoping review of literature on sustainable fashion education, alongside a qualitative content analysis of current National Curriculum programms of study for Design and Technology at Key Stage 3 and 4, this paper identifies the key opportunities and barriers to delivering quality, sustainable fashion and textiles education in English secondary schools. The literature review reveals that textiles education has significant, underexploited potential as a vehicle for ESD, whilst the curriculum analysis, structured using the twelve competency areas of the GreenComp framework demonstrates that the current programms of study fail to articulate sustainability as a core expectation. Several GreenComp competencies, particularly those related to envisioning sustainable futures and acting for sustainability, are largely absent, leaving provision dependent on individual teacher initiative. We argue that this combination of an unprepared workforce, an unspecified curriculum, and an imminent policy window, makes the case for targeted action. Frameworks drawn from the sustainable fashion education literature offer practical starting points for curriculum redesign and professional development. As the curriculum review progresses, this paper provides an evidence base to support textiles educators, curriculum designers, and policy makers in ensuring that sustainability becomes a consistent and meaningful feature of textiles education across English secondary schools.