Media Studies

Staff within the Department

Mr K. Marron - Head of Department

B.A. (Hons), DipH.E. 

Ms J. Cupial-Jones - Media Teacher and Head of Year 7

M.A. Journalism and Media Studies

This is an exciting subject which offers students a chance, whatever their background, to do something different. Students will study the products, practices and institutions of the media; Cinema, TV, the Internet, Newspapers, Magazines, Radio and the associated media worlds of Advertising, Photography and Music. They will develop skills in analysis and theory-based knowledge, and be required to produce media artefacts such as magazine features, videos or photostories. They will have the opportunity to use a variety of media equipment such as –

* Digital still cameras

* Digital Video cameras

* I Macs for digital video editing

Curriculum

KS4

Students can take Media Studies as an option in Year 9, wherein they will complete the EDUQAS GCSE. The qualification is weighted towards exams, but also contains coursework, which students will complete throughout the three years.

	Autumn Term	Spring Term	Summer Term
Year 9	Key concepts: Language, Audience, Representations, Institutions	Magazines Moving Image Newspapers Web-based Media	Music Promotion Advertising and Marketing Film Promotion
Year 10	Content from EDUQAS set texts	Understanding the Media NEA Assignment Introduction to the Media	Understanding the Media NEA Assignment Introduction to the Media
Year 11	Content from EDUQAS set texts	Content from EDUQAS set texts	Examination practice

 

We now follow the Eduqas Media Studies specification. You can find more information about it here.

Enrichment activities to do at home

If students are keen to progress in their Media education outside of school, the following would be useful:

• Watch a television show and make notes on how different people or places are represented.
• Start a YouTube channel and practice making your own films.
• Research the companies that manage your favourite TV channels, musicians or games. What else do they own?

KS5

Students can take Media as an option for years 12 and 13. We run the Eduqas Media Studies course and the BTec Creative Digital Media course. The qualification is evenly split between coursework and a written exam at the end of both years.

	Autumn Term	Spring Term	Summer Term
Year 12	Key concepts: Forms, Representations, Institutions, Audiences	Component 1 - Audience and institution	NEA - Practical assignments
Year 13	Wider contexts and Critical theory	Component 2 - Language and representation	Component 1 and 2 review (Exam)

 

We now follow the Eduqas Media Studies specification. 

Enrichment activities to do at home

If students are keen to progress in their Media education outside of school, the following would be useful:

• Investigate the way a particular group is offered identity by media publications. What are they permitted and not permitted to wear, do, or say?
• Investigate which institutions own the newspapers in the UK. What else do they own?
• Start a YouTube channel and practice making your own films.

Enrichment Activities and Trips

Visits to Guardian Newsroom (writing and editing own newspaper front page)	Visits to Sky TV (writing, shooting and editing own TV news feature)
Cinema screenings as part of Into Film Festival	Visit to BFI for study days

 

Career Paths

Journalist	Broadcaster	Marketing	Public relations
Advertising	Website manager	Editor	Teacher