Media Studies
Intent
The Media Studies curriculum aims to develop pupils' confidence in critically engaging with media texts of all styles and types. Throughout the course of study, students will develop an understanding of and analytical approach to television, radio, music, video games, advertising, film, print media, and online and social participatory media. The curriculum is designed to encourage critical evaluation skills and foster personal approaches to a variety of texts. As part of their study of set products, pupils will be prompted to reflect on their own experiences and perspectives on the media industry, and analytically consider the role it plays in their lives.
Knowledge and Skills
Media Studies encourages the development of a wide range of transferable skills. Students of Media Studies should be capable of doing all of the following:
- Understanding the key media framework, including representation, media language, audience, and institution.
- Possessing knowledge of key media theories.
- Knowing how media texts are made, distributed, and received.
- Understanding how media regulation is implemented.
- Writing in a fluent, analytical, and critical style.
- Analyzing media language and representation in a variety of media text genres.
- Investigating how representations are constructed in a media text.
- Being proficient in the use of Photoshop.
- Creating and evaluating their own media texts.
Curriculum Overview
Key Stage 3
Students will be taught how to identify and analyze camera work, special effects, costumes, and sets using a range of extracts from superhero films. Assessment will be in the form of analytical writing, similar to English. A typical question might be, “How do the camera work and special effects engage and excite the audience in this extract?” or “How are the costumes, props, and locations in this extract typical of the superhero genre?”
Key Stage 4
Career Opportunities in Media Studies
The study of Media allows you to develop skills that can lead to many different career choices. Some examples of careers you could pursue include broadcasting, information management, teaching, public relations, journalism, publishing, sales and marketing, TV researching, arts administration, broadcast journalism, cinematography, computer games testing, copywriting, disc jockey (DJ), acting, and media buying. The opportunities are endless...
Year 10 Curriculum Overview
| What are we learning? | What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain? | What will excellence look like? | How will this be assessed? |
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Component One – Section B
Hollywood Film |
Students will be studying two Hollywood texts one that is historical and one that is contemporary to cross compare their understanding of audience and engagement. Students can review the idea that images form the basis of film but never create pictures of reality but provide points of view and students are able to analyse and critic a Hollywood film.
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Student will explore the representation and understand the significance of how films are able to offer perspectives on gender, ethnicity, age, and different cultures. Students will be able to analysis key scenes, extracts and frames linking to context of film. Students will be looking at a pair of mainstream films for a comparative study. |
Formative assessment linking to the Component One paper.
This will look at students’ ability to show knowledge and understanding linking to one stepped extended writing response looking at the key elements of film form and the context of the film. |
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Component One – Section B and C
Key development on film and film technology AND Specialist writing on film, including film criticism: US Independent Film |
Students will be developing and extending their knowledge and understanding of film and the use of technology as a key area. In Section C of Paper One students are required to study specialist writing on a film, including film criticism they will explore
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Students will be able to use their analytical annotations to review existing codes and conventions of how key developments in film and film technology link to the development of the Hollywood genre and the independent film scene in the United States industry.
Students will have to use independent study and reflection to highlight their understanding of genre. |
Summative assessment linking to EDUQAS mark scheme.
Formative assessment linking to the Component One paper. (November Mock Examinations) |
Year 11 Curriculum Overview
| What are we learning? | What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain? | What will excellence look like? | How will this be assessed? |
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Unit 1 C1 - Video Games Case Study - Fortnite |
Students will be able to gain an understanding of institution planning and programme development through the study of Fortnite as a platform. As this links to Component One of the GCSE Media qualification, students will be able to review the differences in codes and conventions for a contemporary audience and younger demographic to see how context influences representation within the different types of video games. |
Developing a deep understandings of video games genre conventions, themes and narrative techniques. Students will demonstrate analysis of key extracts, identifying and interpreting plot developments and the socio-cultural contexts. They will also be able to critically evaluate the purpose of the Media industry and how this develops a wider understanding for audiences. |
Formative assessment – students will be able to complete a project assessment using their working booklets based on Fortnite linked to the EDUQAS Component One examination paper, in the format of a self-assessment activity.
Final formative assessment linking to the students completing a mock paper question, component one in November, linking to students being given the opportunity to learn how to revise and work with feedback linked to assessment objectives. |
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Unit 2 C1 – Radio Case Study - The Archers |
Students will be completing initial review of research linking to the exploration of media industries, audience and contexts for Radio. During this unit, they will develop analysis of pre-existing product codes and conventions, linking to the case study of ‘The Archers’. Students will also have the chance to consider the regulation and impact of technology on radio as a medium. |
Students will be able to use their analytical annotations to review existing codes and conventions linking to ‘The Archers’. Students will be able to use independent study and reflection to highlight their understanding of genre.
They will also study this case study linking to the theoretical framework and the ideas presented by Bulmer and Katz for Uses and Gratification theory (Key Theory for Paper One and Two). |
Formative assessment – students will be able to complete a project assessment using their working booklets based on ‘The Archers’ linked to the EDUQAS Component One examination paper, in the format of a self-assessment activity.
Summative assessment linking to EDUQAS mark scheme (Component One - November Mock Exam). |
