MEDIA STUDIES GCSE

Exam Board:  Eduqas

Course Overview / Introduction

Media Studies allows you to understand key concepts of a very important and constantly changing aspect of our world. The media is all around us and this course will allow you to develop both practical and theoretical skills in the media. Media Studies is for you if you:

• Enjoyed the Media scheme of work covered in English

• Enjoy discussing and debating how the Media use techniques to persuade and manipulate

• Have an interest in how messages are communicated including Social Media, Radio and TV, newspapers and magazines

• Are creative and enjoy the thought of creating your own media products

• Are interested in how the media creates meaning for the audience

• Are interested in how media industries work and how they sell their products to the audience

• Want to learn how to use new technologies

• Are interested in how media will change in this fast moving world

What will you study?

Year 10:

• Studying Key Media Framework  and Theories ( Representation, Audience, Industries and (Media)Language . 

• Studying Component 1 Media products: Film Marketing, Advertising, Magazines, Newspapers and Radio

• NEA (coursework) preparation. Planning for and producing a media product in a chosen industry (e.g. could be a front cover, contents page and double-page spread of a magazine, or a film trailer or a music video etc.). This would be in preparation for the assessed brief given in September of Year 11.

Year 11:

• NEA production - Students will plan and produce one media product (either audio-visual, online or print form) set from a given brief provided by the exam board. This set of briefs changes annually.

• Studying Component 2 products: Television, Music Videos and Websites 

How many exams are there?

The Media Studies GCSE comprises of two exams.

Exam – 70% of overall GCSE grade:

Component 1: Exploring the Media - Written examination: 1 hour 30 mins, 40% of qualification 

Component 2: Understanding Media Forms and Products:  Written examination: 1 hour 30 mins, 30% of qualification

Component 3: Non-exam assessment: Media Production, 30% of qualification (coursework):

Coursework assignments focus on an annually changing topic (typically film, gaming, music, social media or print industries). Students will be required to show both practical and theoretical skills to be successful with these tasks and will produce a media product for an intended audience.

What will you gain from this course?

GCSE Media Studies provides an opportunity for you to understand more about the scope of creative media production and develop knowledge about the creative media industries. Transferable skills are those such as: communication, practical, evaluative, research, literacy and analysis etc. which are valued in both higher education and the workplace.

What does this lead to?

A GCSE in Media Studies will give you the opportunity to continue studying Media Studies or Film Studies at A-Level or BTEC. It will also provide you with the skills to continue the subject at university.

The analytical skills will open doors not only to universities but future jobs too. Careers can vary from teaching, journalism, marketing, publishing to PR.

Staff Contact: 

Ms H Ioannidis,
Teacher in charge of Media