Our Media Studies curriculum is designed to develop students’ understanding of the media’s role in shaping society, culture, and identity. We aim to foster critical awareness, analytical thinking, and creative confidence through the study and production of media texts.

We offer an inclusive and contemporary curriculum that encourages all students to explore how media messages are constructed, how audiences respond, and how media industries operate. Through both theoretical and practical work, students become informed media consumers and skilled content creators.

By the end of Key Stage 4, students will be able to:

• Analyse media language, representation, audience, and industry with insight and accuracy
• Understand the social, historical, and cultural contexts of a range of media forms
• Evaluate how media products communicate meaning and influence audiences
• Create their own media products using digital tools and production techniques
• Reflect critically on their own work and the wider media landscape

Our intent is to prepare students for further study, media-related careers, and active participation in a media-saturated world.

Curriculum overview

Key Stage 4

Students follow the AQA GCSE Media Studies specification, which combines analytical study with creative production.

Component 1: Exploring the media

• Study of media language and representation across print, broadcast, and online platforms
• Analysis of media industries and audiences

Component 2: Understanding media forms and products

• In-depth study of specific media forms such as television, music video, magazines, and video games
• Application of theoretical frameworks to set products

Component 3: Creating media products

• Non-examined assessment (coursework): planning and producing an original media product in response to a brief
• Use of digital tools for design, editing, and layout

Assessment includes two written exams and one practical coursework component.

Courses offered

• GCSE Media Studies (AQA)

Enrichment opportunities

We offer a range of enrichment activities to extend students’ engagement with media and support their creative development. These include:

• Media Club: Opportunities to create podcasts, short films, blogs, and digital magazines
• Workshops in digital production: Hands-on sessions in video editing, photography, and graphic design
• Industry talks and careers events: Insights from professionals in journalism, advertising, film, and digital media
• Media trips: Visits to media studios, film festivals, and exhibitions
• Student media projects: Involvement in school newsletters, social media content, and promotional videos

These experiences help students develop a critical eye, a creative voice, and a deeper understanding of the media’s influence in the modern world.