Media Studies
Highams Park School
Course summary
The Media Studies A Level course will enable you to develop your understanding and appreciation of a variety of different media forms and products. It will broaden your horizons, encourage you to question the media industries and products that are so firmly embedded in today’s society and enable you to experience media production first hand. We do not run the AS level, instead we spread the A Level course over two years. Beginning with an Intro to Media consisting of stand alone lessons and project based work to help build up the skills you’ll need to approach the A Level content. Over the course of year 12 we’ll look at a variety of products from Magazines (The Big Issue) and Advertising to Long Form TV Dramas (Stranger Things and Deutschland 83) and Radio (BBC Radio One Breakfast Show) As well as investigating the Film Industry (Jungle Boko 1967 VS 2016), the Video Game Industry (Minecraft) and how Music Videos create meaning and reflect society. Each unit is studied through the lens of at least one of the four key concepts, these are: Media Language: How meaning is created through visual elements Media Representations: Examining, understanding and critiquing how social groups and identities are portrayed in the media and why. Media Industries: Who owns and makes the media and how does this impact the end product? Media Audiences: How and why do we respond to media products? Contexts: Social, Historical, Political and Cultural. In year 13 we complete our final unit, News and Online and the Non Exam Assessed Component ( Creating Media) where students will be given a creative brief to respond to. Previous years have created professional looking magazines and fantastic music videos.
Entry Requirements
Checked against your grades — every rule traces to the school's published source.
| Requirement | Rule | You |
|---|---|---|
English Language | Grade 5 in English Language | — |
English Language Alternative route | Grade 4 in English Language | — |
English Literature Alternative route | Grade 5 in English Literature | — |
As published by the school
GCSE English Language grade 5, or GCSE English Language grade 4 and English Literature grade 5.
Am I eligible?
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Assessment
Two 2hr exams and one assessed piece of coursework. Component 1: Media Messages (News and Online & Language and Representation) 35% Component 2: Evolving Media (Audience and Industry & Long Form TV Drama) 35% Component 3: Non Exam Assessed (Creating Media) Coursework 30%
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