Our Curriculum Intent
Our Media Studies curriculum is designed to encourage our students to become perceptive, critical thinkers. They develop an awareness that a medium is a form of communication that is carefully constructed to deliver a particular message, and are encouraged to seek reasons for such constructions.
Our aim is to promote confident, reasoned thinking in our students and to develop in them an ability to challenge the representations that they see around themselves. We expose them to a wide range of media forms from both the past and present. By discussing these, we encourage them to acknowledge the perspectives of others, form their own views about the representations in particular media texts, consider the reasons for such representations and reach conclusions about how these reflect our ever-changing society.
We challenge our students to articulate these ideas in writing that is fluent, informed and purposefully structured, and that makes reference to the key concepts underlying the subject. In addition to analysis and evaluation, we encourage our students to develop their creative, visual skills by giving them the opportunity to produce media texts of their own.
Our focus on careers and enrichment activities creates a link between the classroom and the world beyond, and allows our students to recognise how their acquired skills can be transferred to the workplace. Our curriculum is one that is highly relevant and thought-provoking, and one that aims to broaden our students’ horizons.
Do you enjoy engaging with the media, questioning what you see and hear, and analysing the ways in which people, places and issues are represented? Do you ever wonder why a media product may be so appealing to its audience? Then Media Studies could be for you!
GCSE Media is a highly popular course at Crawshaw – our students comment that it is varied, engaging and most importantly to them, it is relevant. Media Studies can pave the way for a wide range of careers including journalism, advertising and marketing, publishing, social media and events management, TV/radio production, teaching/lecturing, public relations, ICT, web content management and writing.
GCSE Media Studies is currently offered to students in Year 9 (one class) and to students in Years 10 and 11 (two classes in each year). Our learners are placed in mixed ability groups, are taught for 4 to 5 hours a fortnight and have access to the editing software installed on our iPads and computers.
Students in Years 10 and 11 follow the Eduqas Media Studies course which is linear, and covers a huge range of media forms including Television, Music Videos, Film, Advertising, Magazines, Newspapers, Radio and Video Games. In addition to the two examinations at the end of Year 11, our students have the opportunity to design a DVD cover and a film poster (NEA) which count for 30% of their final grades.
Our Year 9 students are introduced to the key concepts and theories underlying the subject and again learn about a wide range of topics from soap operas to Bond movies. Year 9 students have the opportunity to show off their creative skills, creating storyboards, posters, trailers and advertisements.
Learners receive regular homework involving independent research, design work and exam practice. Their teachers may also set them a Seneca Learning assignment to complete. Students in Years 10 and 11 are given Enrichment Booklets for each topic covered – these include tasks to supplement their current learning in the classroom and to embed previously taught content. Finally, extra support can be gained from the BBC GCSE Bitesize website.
The Media department is keen that students experience the media world outside of the school gates and to date, our students have taken part in an IntoFilm Film Festival, have visited Emmerdale Studios and have participated in an Animation workshop with Pudsey Library. Students in Year 8 have also had the opportunity to attend a fortnightly Film Club during which they have been allowed to watch and discuss movies of their choice.
Media Curriculum Map Year 9
Media Curriculum Map Year 10
Media Curriculum Map Year 11
The link to the Eduqas website can be found here –
http://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/media-studies/gcse/
Our English curriculum at Crawshaw is designed to empower our students by teaching them to write and speak with fluency and purpose, developing fundamental skills and knowledge that have intrinsic value to their lives. 
