Media Studies

The Team 

Staff Member	Role	Email Address
Donna Steel	Head of Media Studies	steeld@Ursuline.kent.sch.uk
Fiona Giles	Media Studies teacher	gilesf@Ursuline.kent.sch.uk

 

Key Stage 4 

Exam Board: Eduqas 

Link to Specification: https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/media-studies-gcse/#tab_overview 

Future Careers: Advertising, journalism, web design. TV and music industry, TV and film production,  interactive media, and digital marketing, technical production, special effects, web design and post-production 

 

Tier of entry  

Single tier 

Programme of study  

GCSE Media Studies students will analyse how media products like TV programmes and music videos use images, sounds, language, and representations to create meaning.  They will learn about the media industry and how the industry affects how media products are made.  They will investigate media audiences, exploring who are the people who watch, read and consume the products, and considering how different people might be affected by media products differently, and why.  They will study lots of different media forms, such as:  

Television, Online Media, Advertising and Marketing, Film Marketing, Magazines, Newspapers, Social and Participatory Media, Music Video, Radio and Video Games.  

There’s also a significant amount of practical work where you might create music videos, magazines, television programmes, advertisements and more.   

In the practical work, they will be able to apply what they have learned about the media in the production of their own media products.  

Learning/Teaching Approach  

A wide range of approaches are used including whole class and group discussion, reading, watching, listening to designated media texts, student presentations and practical computer tasks. To achieve a high grade, students also need to devote a large amount of private study to reading, watching and listening to similar media texts to broaden their knowledge. Media Studies will even help you to develop skills that you’ll be able use in your other subjects such as critical thinking, analysis, research, planning, practical skills, time management and essay writing skills.  

Assessment  

Assessment will consist of a mixture of examinations and non-examined assessment.   

Component 1: Written examination:  1 hour 30mins, 40% of qualification   

Component 2: Written examination:  1 hour 30mins, 30% of qualification   

Component 3: Non-exam assessment:  Media Production, 30% of qualification  

What it leads to  

During the GCSE Media course students develop and practise a range of skills which will equip them for progression to A Level study.  They will also help in other areas such as Film, English, Humanities and Social Sciences.   If students are interested in the idea of a career in TV and film production, advertising, journalism, interactive media, and digital marketing, technical production, special effects, web design and post-production, then studying Media at GCSE level is a great place to start.    

Additional points  

Texts are designated by the exam board  

A brief overview of topics covered in each cycle of each year 

	Cycle 1	Cycle 2	Cycle 3	Cycle 4
Year 10	Media Key Concepts (genre, conventions, media language, text, institution, audience, representation, stereotypes, narrative)   Print advertisement – Quality Street	Print advertisement – This Girl Can    Film posters – The Man with the Golden Gun, Spectre film poster 2015 and Spectre website 2015    Radio - The Archers (two episodes) and The Archers website	Magazines – GQ and Pride (set texts)    Radio - The Archers (two episodes) and The Archers website  Newspapers – The Sun and The Guardian (set texts)	Video games – Fortnite and Fortnite website  Coursework – Research and planning
Year 11	Coursework  Music videos  Duran Duran  Katy Perry  Pharrel Williams	Coursework  Crime Drama  The Sweeny  Luthur	Exam revision  Paper one	Exam revision  Paper two

 

Key Stage 5 

Exam Board: Eduqas 

Link to Specification: https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/media-studies-as-a-level/#tab_overview 

Future Careers: There is a huge array of career opportunities in the media, which is an industry that is growing at an exponential rate. Advertising, journalism, web design. TV and music industry, TV and film production,  interactive media, and digital marketing, technical production, special effects, web design and post-production. 

 

Programme of study  

GCE Media Studies students will analyse how media products use language and representations to create meaning. They will learn about the media industry and how the industry affects how media products are made. They will investigate media audiences, exploring who are the people who watch, read and consume the products and considering how different people might respond to products differently, and why. They will study many different media forms, such as:  

Television, Online Media, Advertising and Marketing, Film Marketing, Magazines, Newspapers, Social and Participatory Media, Music Video, Radio and Video Games.  

Students will explore and apply critical perspectives including those of world-renowned media and cultural theorists, and will examine how social, historical, political and economic contexts affect media production. They will also have the opportunity to apply what they have learned through the production of your own media texts, exploring and creating media forms such as music videos, magazines, television, websites and film marketing.  

 

Learning/Teaching Approach  

A wide range of approaches are used including whole class and group discussion, reading, watching, listening to designated media texts, student presentations and practical computer tasks. To achieve a high grade, students also need to devote a large amount of private study to reading, watching and listening to similar media texts to broaden their knowledge.  

Media Studies will help you to develop valuable transferable skills such as critical thinking, analysis, research, planning, skills of enquiry and evaluation, practical skills, creativity, time management, essay writing skills and more. Your studies will complement and assist your learning in other subjects such as English Language and Literature, Humanities, Sociology, Film, ICT and the Extended Project.  

 

Assessment  

Assessment will comprise of a mixture of examined and non-examined assessment.   

Component 1 Written examination:  2 hours 15 mins, 35% of qualification   

Component 2 Written examination:  2 hours 30 mins, 35% of qualification  

Component 3 Non-exam assessment: Cross-Media Production, 30% of qualification  

  

What it leads to  

Over one hundred universities offer courses in Media, Communications and Cultural Studies in the UK. A GCE in Media Studies helps you to progress to these courses, as well as to those in other areas such English, Humanities and Social Sciences. There is a huge array of career opportunities in the media, which is an industry that is growing at an exponential rate. According to accountancy giant PwC’s latest Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2018-2022, the entertainment and media sector will be worth £76 billion by 2022 and the video games sector is currently valued at more than half the UK’s whole entertainment industry.   

If you are looking for a job in this area, studying Media at GCE and at degree level is a route into careers such as TV and film production, advertising, journalism, interactive media, and digital marketing. It could help to provide you with the foundation to secure roles in technical production, special effects, web design and postproduction.   

 

A brief overview of topics covered in each cycle of each year 

	Cycle 1	Cycle 2	Cycle 3	Cycle 4
Year 12	Media Key Concepts (genre, conventions, media language, text, institution, audience, representation, stereotypes, narrative)     Print advertisement –   Tide  Kiss of the Vampire    Audio/Visual Advertisement  Wateraid  Unseen	Music Video –   Beyonce – Formation  Vance Joy - Riptide    Newspapers –   The Times and   The Daily Mail (set texts)	Industries -  I, Daniel Blake  Black Panther    Video games –   Assassin’s Creed franchise	Online -   Zoella/Zoe Suggs  Attitude  Coursework – Research and planning
Year 13	COURSEWORK  Radio -    Late Night Woman’s Hour  Industries  Humans	Magazines -   The Big Issue  Industries  The Returned	Magazines –   Vogue  Exam Revision	Exam revision