Media Studies

Why we teach Media Studies

At Melbourn Village College, we are committed to ensuring that students leave the school ready to face modern society. Students already consume media in many forms, and will continue to do so for the rest of their lives. We want to ensure that they fully understand how they use, and in turn, how they are used by the media, to create identities and reinforce ideologies throughout society. By studying different media forms, and considering how ideas are constructed and reconstructed, students can learn to consume media in a critical way. This has broad implications as social media continues to grow in its influence, and as new forms of media emerge and influence their users.Course followed:

GCSE Media Studies

Equqas GCSE Media Studies (603/1115/0)

Overview of content

Students start their Media Studies course at the beginning of Year 10. There is a roughly equal split of modules studied, with more being completed in Year 10, which leaves time for revision of all of the modules in Year 11. Students will also complete their NEA (Non-Examined Assessment) in the summer term of year 10, leaving time at the beginning of Year 11 to review the work well in advance of the submission to the exam board. Most students will be beginning the course with limited knowledge of the concepts studied, and so the first half term of Year 10 is spent developing an understanding of the framework and embedding key skills.

Students study a range of media forms in terms of a theoretical framework which consists of media language, representation, media industries and audiences. The following forms are studied in depth, applying all areas of the framework: newspapers, television, music video and online, social and participatory media. Advertising and marketing, film, video games, radio and magazines are studied in relation to selected areas of the framework.

The following programme of study is subject to change, as the Media course is refreshed each year with new products added and out of date products removed.

Programme of Study

Topic		Unit	Component and Section		Framework Area	Assessments	Term
Introduction to Media		1	N/A		Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience	October Skills Assessment   Advert Rep Practice Question	Autumn 1
Adverts – Quality Street/ This Girl Can		1	1.A		Media Lang, Representation
Adverts – Exam Practise and Design		1	1.A		Media Lang, Representation
Movie Posters – TMWTGG		2	1.A		Media Lang, Representation	TMWTGG Media Language Practice Question   Movie Posters Rep Practice Question   Magazine Comparison	Autumn 2
Movie Posters – No Time To Die		3	1.A		Media Lang, Representation
Film Industry – No Time To Die		3	1.B		Industry
Magazines - GQ		4	1.A		Media Lang, Representation
Magazines - Vogue		4	1.A		Media Lang, Representation
Radio – The Archers		5	1.B		Industry, Audience	The Archers Quiz   The Archers Section B Industry mock	Spring 1
Video Games – Fortnite	Intro to NEA (1 lesson per Fortnight)	6/X	1.B/3		Industry, Audience
Video Games - Fortnite	NEA (1 lesson per Fortnight)	6/X	1.B/3		Industry, Audience	The Archers Section B Audience Mock     Fortnite Section B Audience Mock	Spring 2
Newspapers – Intro	NEA (1 lesson per Fortnight)	7/X	1.A/3		Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience
Newspapers – The Guardian	NEA (1 lesson per Fortnight)	7/X	1.A/3		Media Lang, Representation		Summer 1
Newspapers – The Sun	NEA (1 lesson per Fortnight)	7/X	1.A/3		Media Lang, Representation
Newspapers – The Sun - Industry	NEA (1 lesson per Fortnight)	7/X	1.A/3		Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience	Year 10 Mock – Full Paper 1	Summer 2
Revision for Year 10 Summer Mock		R	1		Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience
Newspaper Industry – The Sun - Industry	NEA (1 lesson per Fortnight)	7/X	1.B/3		Industry, Audience

Year 11

Topic		Unit	Component and Section	Key Skills	Assessments	Term
Introduction to Year 2/ Paper 2		8	2	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience	Newspaper ML Practice Question   Newspaper Section B Industry	Autumn 1
TV – Luther	NEA	8	2.A/3	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience
TV – Luther		8	2.A	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience	Year 11 Mock – Full Paper 1	Autumn 2
Revision for Year 11 November Mock		R	1/2	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience
TV – The Sweeny		8	2.A	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience
Music Videos - Intro		9	2.B	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience	Paper 2 Section A Mock         Paper 2 Section B – Media Language and Rep Mock	Spring 1
Music Videos – TLC		9	2.B	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience
Music Videos – Taylor Swift		9	2.B	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience
Music Websites and Social Media – Taylor Swift		9	2.B	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience	Paper 2 Section B – Industry and Audience Mock	Spring 2
Music Videos – Justin Bieber		9	2.B	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience
Music Websites and Social Media – Justin Bieber		9	2.B	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience
Revision		R	1/2	Media Lang, Representation, Industry, Audience		Summer 1

Homework

Homework will be set once a week and the time students are expected to spend on it is sixty minutes. The types of homework set can include: wider reading around a topic/subject we are studying, research in connection with a topic, product design, or the class teacher may set specific tasks that relate to the areas being studied in lessons. At GCSE level, we expect students to be revising key modules and areas of study straight away from the beginning of Year 10. There are a range of tools provided to help with this, including student packs and Seneca learning assessments.

How it is assessed

Media Studies is assessed by means of two written exams sat at the end of the course worth 70% in total, and a Non-Examined Assessment (coursework) unit worth 30%.

Each exam paper is 1 hour and 30 minutes long.

Paper 1 is worth 40% of the GCSE and is divided into:

Section A, which focuses on Media Language and Representations (two areas of the framework) and can be assessed on the following products: Adverts, Magazines, Film Posters or Newspapers.

Section B, which focuses on Industry and Audience and can be assessed on: Radio (The Archers), Video Games (Fortnite), Film Industry (and a Bond Film) and Newspaper Industry (specifically The Sun)

Paper 2 is worth 30% of the GCSE and is divided into:

Section A, which covers all areas of the framework but is assessed on TV (Crime Drama – Luther and the Sweeny)

Section B, which covers all areas of the framework but is assessed on Music Videos and Online Media (Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and TLC)

The NEA is worth 30% and completed in lessons and at home over a term. Students are given a brief and asked to produce a media product that fits the brief and constructs representations of a group. This is usually a magazine cover and double page spread. Students research, take photos and then use specific programmes on computer to design their product

Learning outside the classroom

Students are strongly encouraged to explore the concepts that we cover in media and to consume a range of media products. They need to consider how the media constructs images, and how groups are represented (or not) in different media forms. Homework tasks offer a range of links and opportunities to build students’ understanding of these products but also to learn how to apply the concepts and approaches to their own consumption of the media.

Parental support and extension

Discussion of how the media creates differing impressions is key. Comparing how different media forms (TV, newspapers etc) present the same topics can be useful discussion points. The influence of social media both on personal identity and on group identity can also be interesting points of discussion.

Everybody is somebody