UPMSP Vocational Ceramics study plan

Classify the main plastic and non-plastic ceramic raw materials (ball clay, kaolin, fireclay, feldspar, quartz, talc, grog) by their role in a clay body and their effect on plasticity, shrinkage and firing temperature.

Compare earthenware, stoneware and porcelain body recipes and state the approximate firing range and typical clay:flux:filler proportions for each.

Explain the function of each stage of clay preparation (blunging, filter pressing, pugging, de-airing) and the difference between slaking, souring and ageing a body.

Demonstrate correct wedging technique (spiral and ram's-head) and describe why de-airing and wedging reduce S-cracks and lamination.

Diagnose three common body faults (short body, high shrinkage cracking, lime popping) and match each to a raw-material or preparation cause.

List and sequence the hand-building methods (pinch, coil, slab, press mould) and state the wall-thickness and joining rules that prevent cracking.

Describe the full throwing sequence for a cylinder and a bowl, naming centring, opening, pulling, shaping and rim finishing, and the hand and wheel-speed actions at each step.

Explain leather-hard finishing operations (trimming, footing, handle pulling and attaching) and the correct moisture state for each.

Identify the causes of five throwing defects (off-centre rim, thin base, S-crack, collapsed shoulder, uneven wall) and the corrective action for each.

Plan a practice session that produces a set of five matching cylinders to a stated dimension tolerance.

Explain the water-loss stages of drying (plastic, leather-hard, bone dry) and the shrinkage and cracking risks at each stage, including the role of even drying and covered drying.

Sequence a bisque firing and a glaze firing, stating the purpose of each stage: water smoking, quartz inversion around 573 °C, oxidation, body reduction, glaze maturation and controlled cooling.

Describe the correct operation of a kiln: loading and setting with stilts, shelves and wads, kiln furniture placement, firing schedule setting, pyrometric cones and shut-down procedure.

Interpret firing faults (bloating, black coring, pinholing, crawling, dunting, warping) and link each to atmosphere, schedule or stacking error.

Explain the difference between oxidation and reduction atmospheres and the effect of each on clay colour and glaze result.

Describe the role of each glaze component (silica, alumina, flux, colourant, opacifier) and how the silica:alumina ratio and flux choice change melting behaviour.

Explain glaze preparation steps (weighing, sieving, ball milling, specific gravity and viscosity testing) and how to adjust a glaze that is too thick or too thin.

Compare the main surface decoration techniques (slip trailing, sgraffito, inlay, wax resist, underglaze and overglaze painting, stamping, marbling) and the correct stage of the ware for each.

State the safety and compatibility rules for mixing slips and glazes, including the need for fit testing and the risk of shivering and crazing.

Calculate a simple glaze recipe batch for a stated total weight and record specific gravity readings.

Explain plaster of Paris chemistry and the correct plaster:water ratio by weight, mixing procedure, setting time and the effect of impurities or over-mixing.

Describe how to make a one-piece and a two-piece press or slip-casting mould from a model, including parting lines, keys, cottling and mould release.

Sequence the slip-casting process (mould preparation, pouring, casting time, draining, releasing, fettling) and diagnose casting faults such as thin walls, surface blisters and mould fatigue.

Produce a design brief for a ceramic product that states function, dimensions, target user, production method and decoration, and translate it into an orthographic or isometric working drawing with dimensions.

Explain how a design is adapted for batch production, including shrinkage allowance, mould layout and standardisation of parts.

Identify workshop hazards by activity (silica dust, lead glaze, kiln fumes, electrical, hot surfaces, sharp tools) and state the control measure for each.

Describe correct use and maintenance of core tools and equipment: wheel head and splash pan, kiln elements and thermocouple, pug mill, ball mill, spray gun and compressor, and the maintenance schedule for each.

Explain the health risks of respirable crystalline silica and lead exposure, and the correct use of extraction, wet methods, PPE and personal hygiene in a ceramics workshop.

Describe safe waste management: clay and glaze sludge settling, water recycling, broken ware disposal, and correct handling and labelling of glaze chemical containers.

Draft a workshop safety checklist and an emergency procedure for a kiln fault and a chemical spill.

Calculate the true cost of one ceramic product: raw materials, glaze, firing energy, labour time, mould and tool depreciation, breakage allowance and packaging.

Set a wholesale and retail price from cost using a stated markup or margin, and explain the difference between markup on cost and gross margin.

Describe at least four sales channels for ceramic products (craft fairs, retail stockists, online marketplace, direct commission) with the cost and effort of each.

Draft a simple marketing plan: product photographs, product description, pricing ladder, social media posting plan and a customer enquiry response template.

Explain basic record keeping for a small ceramics unit: stock register, firing log, order book and daily production record.

Revise all ten domains using the weekly deliverable sheets and a condensed one-page summary per domain.

Complete a full-length timed mock test and score each domain separately to identify weak areas.

Re-teach the three weakest topics from the mock test by writing short explanations in your own words without notes.

Practise calculation questions (batch weight, glaze specific gravity, costing, shrinkage allowance, firing ramp) until each is solved correctly twice in a row.

Rehearse short written answers for the safety, environment and entrepreneurship domains, which carry fewer marks and are easy to neglect.