Media Studies

”Casting a critical eye over the ever-changing influence of modern media”

Our Media curriculum intends to:

Enable pupils to become critical and analytical readers of media texts.

Enable pupils all-through to question the way the media represents individuals and groups, and its power to manipulate audiences.

Enable pupils to create purposeful, effective media products.

Secondary Choices Process

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Why learn Media?

Media plays a key role in modern society: each time we watch television, read a newspaper or access the internet, we are exposed to the power of the Media. We are also affected by Media that we do not necessarily choose to use. This is why this dynamic and exciting subject provides pupils with an excellent tool to navigate and analyse the world we live in. In addition to this, the core skills of analysis work to build on and support the work pupils undertake in English.

Course Content in Years 7 and 8

In Year 7 we look at various public figures considering how they are represented in the press and how they have become heroes of our time. We also link this with some image decoding and inference skills which start to build a bank of media terminology.

In Year 8 we study advertising building on our prior knowledge of media terminology and looking at how the adverts persuade the audience to purchase products.

Course Content in Year 10-11

Pupils are required to explore Media language, representation, Media industries and audiences. They apply these theoretical frameworks to set texts from the exam board as well as unseen Media products. In addition, pupils develop practical skills and produce a practical production using editing software and original images.

Assessment:

The Media GCSE consists of two exams collectively worth 70% and a Practical Production, completed within school, worth 30%.

Home Learning:

Pupils are expected to complete Home Learning every week. Usually, this will take one hour. Home Learning will be set as a variety of tasks including finding and analysing examples of Media texts, researching texts, contexts and/or theories and preparing for practical work.

Exam Board: Eduqas C680QS

Media is taught within the English syllabus in the Primary phase. It is taught from KS3 onwards as a discrete lesson objective then as an individual subject.

The Westgate School
4 - 16 'all-through' school

Learning Together - Achieving Excellence