Media Studies
Media Studies
At the Angmering School, we teach Media Studies at GCSE and A-level to develop students into critical, creative, and informed consumers and producers of media. Through the study of a wide range of media products from different historical and contemporary contexts, students learn how media shapes society, culture, and identity. This means that through carefully sequenced lessons, students are challenged to ambitiously critically analyse and creatively produce media products, respectfully explore diverse representations and viewpoints, and courageously question and respond to media messages.
The course combines theoretical understanding with practical production, enabling students to analyse media language, representation, audience and industry, while also creating their own media products using professional conventions. This enables students to develop key skills in analysis, evaluation, research, communication, and creativity through a mixture of group and independent activities. With this said, the curriculum has high expectations for all students, and staff will be there to provide clear models of success for both academic and practical work, and provide scaffolds to help students aspire to achieve their full potential. Students are provided with all the equipment that they need for this course of study and given a choice within production work, which allows students to pursue personal interests and develop independence.
This subject naturally encourages students to have a curiosity about media careers, which we facilitate with the guest speakers that we invite in to talk to and inspire our students, as they start to make big decisions as to their career pathways. In the past, students have engaged in webinars with the company Into Films, about the creation of the Wicked films, and had the opportunity to meet multi-award-winning broadcaster, Chris Terrill. All of the skills, knowledge, and experiences that the students are able to experience equip pupils with transferable skills and knowledge to enter the media industry, entering careers such as journalism, digital marketing, or film/television production.
Students say…
“Media studies has helped me in other subjects like English and Photography”
“I have become more aware of the media around me and can critically analyse the symbolism and connotations embedded in media products”
“I have learnt to be more anaylistical and creative"
“I have learnt a bunch of new words”
“I am more aware of the world around me because of media studies”
What course(s) is/are offered?
Eduqas, GCSE Media Studies
Link to specifications
What will my child study in year 10?
- Component 1 (exam 1: 40% of qualification) - theoretical understanding of media language, representation, industry, audience and context of the following forms: Newspapers, Advertising and Marketing, Magazines, Radio, Video Games and Film.
- Component 3 (Non-exam assessment: 30% of qualification) - students use knowledge and understanding of the media industry to create a media product for a specific brief. These briefs change each year.
What will my child study in year 11?
- Component 2 (exam 2: 30% of qualification) - In depth study of the television and music forms, whilst deepening the theoretical understanding of media language, representation, industry, audience and context
How is the course assessed?
- Component 1: Exploring the Media - Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes (40% of qualification)
- Component 2: Understanding Media Forms and Products - Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes (30% of qualification)
- Component 3: Creating Media Products - Non-exam assessment (30% of qualification)
What course(s) is/are offered?
Eduqas, A-level Media Studies
Link to specifications
What will my child study in year 12?
- Component 1 (exam 1: 35% of qualification) - develop knowledge and understanding of key aspects of the theoretical framework: media language, representation, industry, audience and context of the following forms: Newspapers, Advertising and Marketing, Music Videos, Radio, Video Games and Film.
- Component 3 (Non-exam assessment: 30% of qualification) - students use knowledge and understanding of the media industry to create a media product for a specific brief. These briefs change each year.
What will my child study in year 13?
- Component 2 (exam 2: 35% of qualification) - In this component learners are required to study three media forms in depth, exploring all areas of the theoretical framework - media language, representation, media industries, and audiences - in relation to audio-visual, print and online products: Television, Magazines and Online media
How is the course assessed?
- Component 1: Media Products, Industries and Audiences - Written examination: 2 hours 15 minutes (35% of qualification)
- Component 2: Media Forms and Products in Depth - Written examination: 2 hours 30 minutes (35% of qualification)
- Component 3: Cross-Media Production - Non exam assessment (30% of qualification)
What will the course allow me to progress to in the future?
It can allow students to access higher educational course
It opens doors to go into careers in the Media Industry
It can build your skills in analysis, research and communication, alongside getting the opportunity to use some media production tools.
Our curriculum is taught by a passionate team of teachers who have studied the subject at university or have had previous experience working in the media industry. In KS4, we have designed our curriculum to follow Roshineshine’s Principles of teaching, in which the teacher delivers new information in small chunks, front-loads the new vocabulary, and includes regular checks for understanding through checkpoints, retrieval practice in the ‘do now’ activity, and formative assessment questions which mirror the language used in the exam. As a subject that also requires students to form a coherent argument in the form of an essay, teachers use models and scaffolds to show how to answer these more challenging tasks before allowing students independent practice. At KS5, we continue to implement Roshineshine’s principles, but through a flipped learning approach, where we expect students to have engaged with the new information prior to the lessons and check for understanding in the classroom setting.
In KS4, students are expected to complete homework assignments once a week. These are available in print format and also on Google Classroom, which will consolidate the learning in the lessons. In the summer term of year 10, homework will be set with the expectation that students will be completing tasks for the NEA (non-exam assessment), such as capturing the photos. In year 11, this will change back to a revision task based on learning for year 1. All homework instructions will be shared on Bromcom and provided with links to the Google Classroom.
As a very industry-leading subject, our students have the opportunity to attend webinars and meet special guests from a variety of different fields in the media industry. This allows students an understanding of a wide variety of jobs in the industry and helps them start to understand how they can start to tailor their own learning journeys and aspire to take on some of these roles. There are also clubs, such as the KS4 book club, that create podcasts, sharing the love of literature using a media form, allowing students to practise their practical skills.
