Media Studies
The media is a powerful entity which plays a significant role within society. It gives the people a voice or the skill to actually change people's views or lives and that's incredibly powerful. That is why media matters.
Professor Philip Thickett
Media Studies empowers people to be both critical thinkers and creative producers of an increasingly wide range of messages using image, language, and sound.
It is the skilful application of literacy skills to media and technology messages. As communication technologies transform society, they impact our understanding of ourselves, our communities, and our diverse cultures, making media literacy an essential life skill for the 21st century.” Alliance for a Media Literate America.
SLT Lead for Computing, Media Social Sciences and PE Faculty
Anna Rimington | arimington@aclandburghley.camden.sch.uk
Teachers
Mayo Ogunlabi | iogunlabi@aclandburghley.camden.sch.uk
Oliver Rosen | orosen@aclandburghley.camden.sch.uk
Andrea Solot | asolot@aclandburghley.camden.sch.uk
Curriculum
The Media Studies department currently offers Film Studies GCSE, Media Studies A level and the Cambridge Technicals Diploma in Digital Media (a vocational course equivalent to two A-levels). Offering various subjects taught in different ways means we can suit a wide range of students and ignite passion for the media.
Projects are designed to develop students creative and analytical skills, as well as develop their knowledge of the business of the media industry. Students work in teams as well as individually on creative projects, and they need to be organised to enable them to meet their deadlines.
Students develop analytical skills, using a new vocabulary to investigate the media. Students will also develop their critical thinking skills as they begin to establish the impact of media messages on society. Students will develop digital media design and editing skills in production, by using programmes like Photoshop and Adobe Premiere to produce their own media products. Students' ability to plan a creative piece of work will also be developed through
coursework projects. They will develop their ability to apply their research into real media products to their own production work. Their skills of managing an independent and long term project will be tested on this course.
Their ability to work independently in the production of their own work is a skill that is required and continuously called upon in this subject.
For more, see the department's website:
https://absmediastudies.weebly.com
Areas of study
- Students study a range of industries, the Music industry, Newspapers, Television and Video Games.
- Students will study the key concepts that underpin the subject Genre, Audience, Media Language, Representation and Narrative.
- Students will develop their theoretical knowledge of the Media.
- They will also produce a practical project which will require them to research, plan and produce a media product.
Extended learning
Parents can support their child's learning by encouraging their child to analyse the media texts they consume every day and asking important questions like, how are stereotypes reinforced, what views about groups and members of society are being formed from a range of Media texts, including the News and Newspapers.
Students will need your support to not accept the Media on face value, they need to constantly question and critique what they see, which is an essential skill.
Get ahead
Whilst watching, listening and playing with media products start thinking about how meanings are created for audiences.
Think about how common ideas are supported by the media you consume. A good way to start is to ask yourself what types/groups of people are shown to be like in films and on TV. Are they shown as intelligent, criminals, hardworking, victims, heroes or villains? Think about the message this sends about these groups of people and think about the issues that could be associated with showing people in this way.
Useful websites
KS5
As part of the wider LaSWAP consortium, Acland Burghley offers the following A level courses. Please click through to the links to view more infomation on the LaSWAP website.