Our vision for teaching Media Studies is to cultivate critically engaged students who can navigate and shape the complex media landscape of the 21st century. Through a dynamic and inclusive curriculum, we aim to empower students to develop essential skills of enquiry, critical thinking, decision-making, and analysis.

Learners will acquire a broad and deep understanding of key media issues, enabling them to explore the historical, cultural, political, and social roles of the media in both past and contemporary contexts.

We seek to foster a critical appreciation of media forms and content, encouraging students to engage thoughtfully with the media that permeates their daily lives. By mastering subject-specific terminology and analytical frameworks, students will be able to interpret and compare media products and understand the diverse contexts in which they are produced and consumed. This analytical competence will support students in making informed arguments, reaching substantiated judgments, and drawing insightful conclusions about media-related issues.

Our vision also recognises the vital interplay between theory and practice. We aim to create learning experiences where theoretical knowledge enhances creative production, and where hands-on practical work deepens theoretical understanding. By offering meaningful opportunities for creative media production, we nurture the development of practical skills, confidence, and expressive capabilities, preparing students to become both discerning consumers and innovative creators of media.

Ultimately, our Media Studies curriculum aspires to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and creativity to participate responsibly and actively in a media-rich world.

Throughout the OCR Media Studies course learners explore a broad range of media forms through both in-depth studies and comparative analysis.

• In Television, students analyse contemporary and historic products, applying the full theoretical framework and examining varied media contexts.
• In Promoting Media, they study film, advertising, marketing, and video games, all produced by the same global conglomerate, gaining insight into cross-media strategies.
• The Music section includes an in-depth study of magazines alongside analysis of music videos and radio, again drawing on the theoretical framework.
• In The News, learners examine online, social, and participatory media as well as traditional newspapers, exploring how media functions in different contexts.
• Students also complete an NEA submission to create their own media products, applying knowledge of media language and representation to communicate effectively with target audiences.

Year 10 Media Studies Curriculum 

Year 11 Media Studies Curriculum