Media Studies curriculum
The summaries below set out the main areas of learning, the knowledge and skills pupils will develop, and the intended curriculum end points. They also show how learning progresses from foundational media analysis to increasingly sophisticated theoretical understanding and independent production.
Key Stage 4
GCSE Media Studies: Foundational Media Concepts
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the key concepts of media language, representation, industries and audiences.
- Analyse how words, images, sound and design create meaning.
- Explore how people, groups, places and issues are represented.
- Identify stereotypes, bias and contrasting representations.
- Understand how media products target and engage audiences.
- Explain how ownership, production, distribution and regulation influence media products.
- Apply subject-specific vocabulary accurately.
- Support analytical points with precise evidence from media products.
How this builds on previous learning
This builds on pupils’ wider experiences of reading, interpreting and creating different forms of communication while introducing the specialist concepts required for Media Studies.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This establishes the conceptual and analytical foundations needed to compare media products, examine contexts and complete increasingly demanding written and practical work.
Media Products and Contexts
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Study media products from a range of forms and periods.
- Understand how social, cultural, historical and political contexts influence media production.
- Compare how different products communicate ideas.
- Examine how media reflects and shapes attitudes within society.
- Analyse the relationship between media products and their intended audiences.
- Make connections between media language, representation, industries and audiences.
How this builds on previous learning
This develops pupils’ understanding of the four key concepts by applying them to a broader and more diverse range of media products.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils to construct more developed comparative arguments and apply contextual knowledge independently.
Non-Exam Assessment: Creating a Media Product
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Respond purposefully to a set production brief.
- Research relevant media products and conventions.
- Identify the needs and expectations of a target audience.
- Plan an original media product.
- Apply appropriate media language and representational choices.
- Use suitable production tools and technologies.
- Review and refine work during the production process.
- Produce a coherent product that meets the requirements of the brief.
How this builds on previous learning
The non-exam assessment enables pupils to apply the analytical knowledge developed through the study of professional media products.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This develops the independence, creativity, technical control and project-management skills required for A-Level Media Studies and related creative courses.
GCSE Examination Preparation
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Retrieve knowledge from across the GCSE curriculum.
- Apply media concepts to familiar and unfamiliar products.
- Analyse media language and representation using precise evidence.
- Explain how industries and audiences influence media products.
- Compare products and contexts.
- Construct clear and well-supported written arguments.
- Interpret examination questions accurately.
- Manage extended responses under timed conditions.
How this builds on previous learning
This brings together pupils’ conceptual knowledge, contextual understanding and analytical skills from across the course.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils for final GCSE assessment and provides a secure foundation for post-16 study.
Key Stage 5
A-Level Media Studies: Advanced Media Analysis
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Analyse media products with increasing depth and precision.
- Apply advanced concepts of media language, representation, industries and audiences.
- Examine global as well as national media products.
- Explore how digital platforms have transformed production, distribution and consumption.
- Analyse media products in relation to their social, cultural, historical, economic and political contexts.
- Develop sustained and evidence-informed arguments.
- Compare products, perspectives and contexts.
How this builds on previous learning
A-Level develops the conceptual and analytical foundations established at GCSE through more complex products, contexts and arguments.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils for the sophisticated application of theory, independent research and advanced creative production.
Media Theory
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand key theoretical approaches to media language.
- Apply theories of representation to different media products.
- Use audience theories to explain how media is interpreted and used.
- Apply theories of industry to questions of ownership, power and regulation.
- Evaluate the strengths and limitations of theoretical perspectives.
- Use theory to develop more sophisticated analytical arguments.
How this builds on previous learning
This formalises and deepens pupils’ understanding of concepts first encountered through GCSE media analysis.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This develops the critical reasoning and academic writing required for higher education and further study in media and communications.
Global Media, Digital Platforms and Participatory Culture
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Examine media products from different countries and cultural contexts.
- Understand how global media industries operate.
- Analyse the impact of digital transformation.
- Explore how online platforms have changed media production and distribution.
- Understand how audiences participate in creating and sharing content.
- Evaluate relationships between technology, identity, power and culture.
How this builds on previous learning
This extends pupils’ understanding of industries and audiences beyond established media forms and national contexts.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils to understand and evaluate the rapidly changing media environment encountered in higher education, employment and adult life.
Advanced Non-Exam Assessment
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Research and interpret an advanced production brief.
- Apply knowledge of professional media conventions.
- Develop a clear concept for an intended audience.
- Plan and manage an extended creative project.
- Make purposeful choices about language, representation and design.
- Use production tools and technologies with increasing control.
- Refine work through testing, review and reflection.
- Produce an original and coherent media product.
How this builds on previous learning
This develops the practical production and project-management skills introduced through GCSE Media Studies.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils for creative higher education courses, apprenticeships and employment involving production, communication, design and digital content.
A-Level Examination Preparation
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Retrieve and connect knowledge from across the course.
- Apply theoretical frameworks accurately and selectively.
- Analyse familiar and unseen media products.
- Compare representations, industries, audiences and contexts.
- Construct sustained and balanced arguments.
- Use detailed evidence to support conclusions.
- Evaluate alternative interpretations.
- Communicate complex ideas clearly under timed conditions.
How this builds on previous learning
This brings together pupils’ theoretical, contextual, analytical and comparative knowledge from across the A-Level course.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils for higher education, apprenticeships and careers within journalism, broadcasting, film, television, advertising, marketing, public relations, digital production and media research.
