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Ashmole
Academy

Media Studies

Curriculum

The experience of learning about Media Studies is an important part of a young person’s education and the department strongly believes that the subject makes a unique contribution to the curriculum.  Media Studies allows students to reflect upon and explore their place in society in relation to others in the world around them.  It takes popular cultural activities and demands that students move away from simple consumption towards a greater understanding of art and culture.

Student can choose to study A Level Media Studies (OCR) in Year 12.  The course is split with 30% of the marks awarded for coursework and 70% for an end of year examination.  In Year 12, Media Studies requires students to develop their understanding of media concepts and apply these in their coursework portfolio, as well as applying them in a formal examination.  In Year 13, the course requires students to develop a wider conceptual understanding of the media and work independently on coursework and examination tasks.

The Media Studies curriculum is underpinned by five subject specific curriculum pillars:

  • Pillar 1:Think critically about the social, cultural, political, economic and historical contexts of different medias.

  • Pillar 2: To analyse and critique how the media portrays events, issues, individuals and social groups.

  • Pillar 3: Demonstrate how and why audiences interpret and respond to medias differently, and how this can change. 

  • Pillar 4: Apply practical knowledge and skills to create media products to meet a specific brief for a target audience.

  • Pillar 5:Demonstrate knowledge of how evolving industries produce, distribute and circulate media texts. 

  • Pillar 6: Articulate key ideas using specialist media language and use of key theorists.

Extracurricular

Students are given the opportunity to be an audience member of BBC’s ‘The One Show’ in Year 12. There are also various opportunities for students to partake in courses given by the BFI, and a number of students have successfully done this. Additionally, there is a weekly media group were students can discuss current media issues and debates that link with their course.