The Textiles Skills Centre has a team of volunteers known as Associate members, who manage everything from the Textile Skills Centre Facebook groups and website, and also offers support, mentorship and advice to textile teachers and trainees. We run free networking events each month and are always on hand to help, encourage and assist when needed.
Meet the team:
BOARD DIRECTORS:
DAWN FOXALL – (Founder & Chair: Textiles Skills Centre CIC)
BA(Hons) Knitwear Design; MA(Distinction)
NICKY SIMPSON – (Senior Associate Member & Secretary: Textiles Skills Centre CIC)
BA(Hons) Textiles Design: Specialising in Print.
JULIA K BURROWS – (Course Developer & Treasurer: Textiles Skills Centre CIC)
BA Fashion Design; L3 Award in Education & Training(RQF)
Julia studied fashion design and garment construction at the Faculty of Clothing Design, in Durban, South Africa. She started her career as designer and pattern cutter for men’s and ladies’ leisurewear, then moved on to become Senior Designer, which involved running several sample and pattern cutting rooms. She designed men’s and ladies surf and swimwear ranges, a menswear brand range “Rifle”, and set up her own ladies’ wear shop and production unit, before moving to the UK.
In the UK, Julia worked for a Marks & Spencer supplier, as Senior Designer of woman’s lingerie and nightwear, and also oversaw a children’s nightwear range. She later moved to London to become Head Designer for a men’s, ladies’ and children’s leisurewear range. More recently Julia has become a freelancer, working with small start-ups advising on the industry, specialist finance management, design feasibility, fabric and pattern cutting. In 2016 she moved into teaching post 16 adult education, at the Fashion Technology Academy in North London. As senior tutor there, she developed training programmes and taught Pattern Cutting and Design.
ROY BALLAM – (Director For Research: Textiles Skills Centre CIC; School Education Consultant)
BA (Hons), MA
Roy works as a school education consultant, after leaving a leading charity as Managing Director and Head of Education. He has been involved in numerous teaching and education programme, initiatives and publications, including those in the UK and internationally. He is an experienced educational leader specialising in education management, training, resource development and research, and policy development and implementation.
Throughout his career, he has used ICT to help bring subject-specific learning to life and support teachers through innovative, but pragmatic approaches. Roy originally trained as a food and textiles teacher and has been a GCSE moderator and A-level principal examiner. He has work with Textiles Skills Centre on various projects including main lead on research projects and publications: ‘Unravelling The Fabric Of Textiles Education – What Next?’ (published April 2024) and ‘Stitching Together an Understanding of the Barriers and Facilitators to Textiles Education in UK Primary Education’ (published January 2025). He also worked on the Online Conference in 2023: ‘Sustainability & Climate Change in Textiles Education’ and the online CPD course for secondary teachers.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS:
RACHEL ADDY – (Presenter & Course Developer for Textiles Skills Centre; Textiles Teacher )
BSC(Hons) Textiles Design for Fashion & Interiors: Specialising in knit.
RACHEL has been the presenter & a host for the Textile Skills Centre events since April 2021. She also works as a Design & Technology Teacher as well as taking part in multiple events globally expanding her network of Textile Professionals. Rachel’s initial career was in the fashion industry working for 9 years around the world as a Product Developer.
She worked for an American based company called GIII based in Hangzhou China and has spent several years travelling the globe working with various textile manufacturers. Rachel has worked with customers from around the world including the high street stores from Marks and Spencer to Moss Bros.
Rachel’s has since moved into teaching as Design and Technology Teacher. She has taught Graphics, Textiles, Fashion Textiles & Product Design. Rachel has spent several years working for not-for-profit Networking events to support locals in making connections that will encourage skill sharing & develop professional relationships that may one day open the door to other opportunities.
LINDA HARVEY (Associate Member; Textiles Artist & Teacher)
BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design
Linda Harvey is a textile artist and teacher with over 28 years of experience, serving as Head of Textiles at a secondary school in North Yorkshire for more than two decades. Committed to professional development, she has delivered a TSC Tea and Chat talk, “Making Time for Art”, and participated in the Textiles Skills Centre Fashion Outcomes Course, which she describes as one of the most impactful CPD experiences of her career.
Her school has hosted the TSC Fabric Manipulation Skills Workshop, providing hands-on learning for fellow teachers. She has also presented an online talk for the Careers in the Fashion Industry programme, offering insights into career pathways, and served as a mentor through the TSC Mentorship Programme, supporting emerging textile teachers.
https://www.lindaharveytextiles.co.uk/
HAIDEE FOY (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
BA(Hons)(1st) Fashion Textiles & Business
Haidee founded the Textile Skills Centre Mentoring Scheme, working alongside a dedicated team of mentors to provide guidance, resources, and inspiration to educators internationally. She has hosted Textile Skills workshops to support the professional development of teachers. Haidee has also contributed to educational policy by making surveys more accessible for teachers and providing feedback on key curriculum documents, enhancing and future-proofing textile education for the benefit of both teachers and students
As an established classroom teacher, Haidee has taught numerous Textiles specifications in D&T and Art Textiles to both GCSE, BTec (Level 3) and A Level. Having graduated with a 1st Class BA (hons) in Fashion Textiles and Business, Haidee gained experience working for an Indian retailer, Chinese textile manufacturer and High street retailer as a woven textiles and printed textiles designer before entering the teaching profession. Haidee has vast experience of mentoring other adult professionals, including graduate trainees, newly qualified teachers and more established classroom teachers.
CLAIRE PARSONS (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
Textile teacher for almost 15 years, I have been lucky enough to join the Textiles Skills Centre where I hope to be able to share my experience in teaching this wonderful subject with others. My first role has been supporting online discussions around the AQA ESA. I have been on fantastic CPD sessions with the TSC that have broadened my practical skill set and helped deliver exciting new techniques to classes.
MARGARET MAUNDERr (Associate Member; Textiles Artist)
Margaret has 35 years’ experience as a textile teacher. She has taught Art & Design Textiles at GCSE and A level with AQA and Pearson Edexcel. She is also an A level Art & Design moderator, Head of Textiles at St Catherines School, Bramley and has taught both Art & Design and Design Technology Textiles, her students achieving grades at GCSE 100% 7-9 and A*-B at A level. Margaret is a textile artist in her own right with a studio at home, where she develops her own pieces and teaches one-to-one classes and studio experiences for students.
MARGARET FINNIKIN (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
BA; CGLI; QFI; NEBS
Margaret studied pattern cutting and garment manufacturing in children’s, ladies and gents wear in Birmingham, beginning her career as a machinist and progressing to a sample machinist. She has 20+ years experience teaching D&T textiles and food, working in state and independent schools. Her passion is to replicate industrial applications into the classroom using domestic equipment, being a strong believer in promoting textile skills in construction.
SARAH NEWELL (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
Sarah Newell – My main role in the TSC is maintaining the A-level Facebook group and hosting training events. The TSC has supported my own teaching development. I’m a Textiles Teacher of over 20 years with experience in both Design Technology and Art Textiles.
BECCI UPTON (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
Artist and Educator with over 20 years experience teaching Art and Design up to A- level in secondary school settings. I am always keen to try out new approaches and techniques and most recently textiles has been an area I have been keen to develop in. I started teaching A-Level Textiles 4 years ago and have attended a number Textiles Skill Centre face to face courses and found the content and delivery were simply the best practical CPD I had experienced.
I also create my own artwork and have an unhealthy obsession with maps. I am hoping to combine my current practice using metal and copper with textiles techniques and I am exploring ideas with this at the moment.
Dawn and Nicky welcomed me as an Associate to help support members in the Tea N Chat A-Level exam paper discussions and adding content to some of TSC Social pages. I am loving the journey so far and excited to see what we can offer and I can learn next.
SARAH TRADGETT (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
TSC has been instrumental in supporting our staff to deliver a rich and diverse Textiles curriculum. Their guidance has helped us develop engaging resources for our pupils while also enabling us to plan for the future. As a result, our students have access to a broad range of specialist textile skills, fostering creativity and hands-on learning.
The Creative Pattern and Gramnet Making course we hosted, was hugely benficial to our own staff and those visiting our school, to support us in our future suceess with our pupils. We have since generated our own exciting and creative resources on the back of this session. It’s really reinvigorated our approach and energy to deliver this fantastic subject at both GCSE & A level
FAY DIEGNAN (Associate Member; Textiles Teacher)
BA (Hons) Textile Design & Surface Decoration – Specialising in Constructed Textiles.
I first discovered the Textile Skills Centre (TSC) three years ago after completing a fabulous course on constructed textiles with Nicky Simpson. Having completed my degree in textiles over 25 years ago, I was eager to refresh my techniques and update my skills for teaching textiles. The course was so inspiring, offering so many techniques and examples to bring back to demonstrate to my students. Since then, I have actively engaged with many of TSC’s wide range of courses and have been fortunate to be part of their Become a Great Textiles Teacher (BAGTT) scheme.
Last year my school hosted the Creative Heat Press course in Hertfordshire. We look forward to hosting more workshops in the future. I am a regular attendee of the online ‘Tea and Chats’ networking sessions TSC provide, these range from careers in textiles, to meet the artist sessions; the knowledge and discussions shared on these are really useful for textiles teachers. TSC has been an invaluable source of support, providing creative inspiration, the opportunity to remain up to date with innovative textile techniques and the chance to meet like minded teachers to share experiences with.