Skip to content ↓

Media

Time Allocation
Media Studies is a GCSE option; therefore, during KS4, 2 hrs per week are allocated to its study. 

Exam Board: Eduqas 

Course Content
GCSE Media Studies is an interesting, challenging and creative course that attracts an increasingly large number of students every year. It offers rigorous but accessible learning on a subject of key importance for young people’s understanding of the world they experience. The course will enable students to develop media literacy through an exploration of contemporary media products, including advertisements, films, TV programmes, newspapers, magazines, and websites. These will be studied focusing on the key conceptual areas of: forms and conventions, audiences, institutions, genre and representation. 

In Year 9, students will be introduced to the main themes involved in Media Studies, including media analysis and media production. This year helps students to build up the skills and competencies necessary to access GCSE level material in this subject. A summary outline of the course is as follows: 

 

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Autumn

Topic: Introduction to the Key concepts

 

Areas of study:

- Institutions

- Representation

- Audience

- Media Language

- Genre

Production Task:

  • Produce an presentation for a new drink product
  • Recreate an existing music video

Component 1 (Advertising & Marketing)

 First Half Term

Set products studied:

  • Quality Street, This Girl Can, The Man the Golden Gun and Spectre film poster

OBJECTIVES:

  • Analyse the ways the set products follow and challenge genre conventions
  • Analyse representation of gender in the set products
  • Analyse how effective the set products are in marketing their products.

Second half term 

Component 1 (Film Industry & Radio)

Set products studied:

  • Spectre
  • The Archer

Component 1 (Newspapers)

 First Half Term

Set product studied:

  • The Sun and The Guardian

OBJECTIVES

  • Analyse representation of issues in the set products (Brexit).
  • Analyse the influence to political bias on the set products.
  • Analyse the role of technology.
  • Analyse the ways newspaper target audiences

Second half term

Component 2 (TV Crime Drama)

Set products studied:

  • Luther and The Sweeney

OBJECTIVES

  • Analyse the ways crime dramas reflect its context
  • Analyse the use of crime drama conventions and representation in the set product.

Spring

Topic: Film/Advertising and Marketing

Areas of study:

- Marketing

- Advertising

- Cross-media advertising & marketing

- Public relations

- Online advertising & marketing

Production Task:

  • Produce an opening sequence for a feature film aimed at a specific audience.
  • Produce a film poster and DVD for your opening sequence.

Component 1 (Magazines & Video Games)

Set products studied:

  • GQ and Pride
  • Fortnite

OBJECTIVES

  • Analyse representation of gender and ethnicity in the magazine set products.
  • Analyse the role of technology in the video game industry.
  • Analyse the ways video games target and appeal to audiences

 

 

Component 2: (TV Crime Drama and Music Videos)

Set product studied:

  • Luther and The Sweeney
  • Taylor Swift, Pharrell Williams and Duran Duran

 OBJECTIVES

  • Analyse representation of gender and ethnicity in the set products.
  • Analyse the role of institutions in the production of the set products 
  • Analyse the role of technology in the set products
  • Analyse the ways set products target and appeal to audiences

 

 

Summer

Topic: Advertising/ News and Magazines

Areas of study:

- Newspapers

- The selection process

- Categorising & analysing magazines

- Magazine audiences - values & lifestyles

- Online news/magazines

- Publishing houses

Production Task:

· Produce three pages for a magazine or newspaper aimed at a specific audience.

· Produce an advertising campaign consisting of three print advertisements.

Component 3 - NEA

 

Create a production portfolio from one of the following areas:

  • Film marketing (DVD cover and film poster)
  • Magazine (front cover and additional pages).

Students will create a media product from the media form above based on a brief set by the exam board, which will stipulate the intended target audience or theme.

Component 2 (Music Videos)

Set product studied: 

  • Taylor Swift, Pharrell Williams and Duran Duran

OBJECTIVES

  • Analyse the importance of social media in the promotion of music artists.

REVISION

  • Practice papers (timed essays)
  • Planning tasks
  • Revision guides

 

Formative Assessment
Students will be assessed throughout the course. This may take the form of written assessments or the monitoring of coursework progress. Homework will also be set once a week. This may include preparation for coursework tasks, research or answering exam-style questions. 

Summative Assessment
There are two elements to the final assessment of this course: 

Component 1 (40%): Exploring the Media. A 1 ½ hour exam. This assessment will take place at the end of Year 11. 

Component 2 (30%): Understanding Media Forms and Products. A 1 ½ hour exam. This assessment will take place at the end of Year 11. 

Component 3 (30%): Creating Media Products. Non-exam assessment. This component is completed in Year 10. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Why you should consider studying Media Studies

The subject will give you the opportunity to develop a range of multidisciplinary skills: 

  • Ability to communicate clearly through good written English (including the ability to apply subject specific terminology). 
  • Ability to analyse media texts, using textual evidence to support points. 
  • Ability to create media products, using practical media equipment and ICT 

What skills profile a GCSE Media Studies student should have

You should consider studying Media if you have developed skills in: 

  • Communicating clearly through good written English 
  • Analysing and backing up ideas with textual evidence 
  • Using media related ICT to create your own practical work 

What opportunities will a GCSE in Media Studies lead to
The skills in analysis, communicating, and using ICT that students will develop are transferable to a wide variety of different professions. There are numerous career paths one can follow as a result of studying Media, including: advertising, journalism, DTP, film/TV production, web design and graphic design. The GCSE course offers a solid foundation, upon which students can build with more specialised study of media in further and higher education.  

Famous Media professionals include: Mark Zuckerberg, Danny Boyle, Simon Cowell, Nick Robinson, Rupert Murdoch, Sam Mendes, Idris Elba. 

For more information, contact Ms Akindayini - Curriculum Leader for Media.