“Certain things leave you in your life and certain things stay with you. And that's why we're all interested in movies- those ones that make you feel, you still think about. Because it gave you such an emotional response, it's actually part of your emotional make-up, in a way.”  ― Tim Burton
 
The Media Department at Walthamstow Academy is fully committed to enriching the students understanding of the media around them. Students learn how to critically analyse and evaluate media texts and their place within political and social contexts, while building up an array of practical skills in print, audio visual and web based production using industry standard software and equipment. 

We have chosen the Eduqas curriculum as we believe it suits the developing needs of students at the Academy.  The curriculum allows for progression from learning in Year 10 and develops and expands on this in  Year 11.  The progression to A Level from the KS4 provision is carefully planned so that students continue to build on thier learning at KS4 and expand on this to ensure they have a considered and anylytical view of the media and its importance and reflection of society.  The curriculum is designed to allow students to build up their practical skills along side their anylytical understanding and we aim to ensure students complete the course with a high level of technical and creative skills.

The aims of the Media GCSE are to encourage our students to be inspired, moved and challenged by following a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study whilst gaining an insight into a broad range of media. It also aims to prepare students to make informed decisions about further learning opportunities and career choices.
 
This Media GCSE will enable students to:

• Develop enquiry, critical thinking and decision-making skills through the study of media texts, audiences and institutions.
• Develop their appreciation and critical understanding of the media and its role in their daily lives.
• Develop their practical skills through opportunities for personal engagement and creativity.
• Understand how to use media key concepts to analyse media texts and their contexts.

GCSE Assessments

GCSE Assessment breakdown

KS4: BTEC Creative Media Production (Edexcel)

The course will give students the chance to:

• Develop their verbal and written analytical skills
• Study a wide range of media texts
• Become involved in media production, creating new media products
• Develop their technical media skills using industry standard software and equipment
• Explore the impact of the media in society

The course incorporates both practice and theory. This means students will be involved in producing media texts as well as analysing them. Students will be expected to conduct individual research as well as participating in group based activities. This course will enable students to further develop their knowledge and understanding of contemporary media culture. This will further enhance their understanding of written, verbal and visual literacy. Lessons will focus on analytical theory, research and practical production skills. Students will have an opportunity to use state of the art equipment such as digital video cameras, editing software (Adobe Photoshop, Premier Pro and After Effects CS6) and audio equipment within the Academy including the Academy Television studio and Radio Room.

BTEC Assessments

Learners are required to complete and achieve all three components in the qualification. The three components focus on the assessment of knowledge, skills, and practices. These are all essential in developing a basis for progression and therefore, learners need to achieve all components to achieve the qualification. The components are interrelated, and they are best seen as part of an integrated whole rather than distinct study areas. The entire course is over a period of two years, this means they are given the opportunity to build their confidence in understanding the sector, vocational contexts, and vocational attributes before they are assessed.

Students will complete 3 component units:

• Component 1: Exploring the Media Products, Level 1/2, Internal Assessment
• Component 2: Developing Digital Media Production Skills, Level 1/2, Internal Assessment
• Component 3: Creating Media Products in Response to a Brief, Level 1/2, External Assessment, 40%

Assessment Objectives:

Component 1 - Internal – 30%

• Investigate media products
• Explore how media products are created to provide meaning and engage audiences

Component 2 - Internal – 30%

• Develop media productions skills and techniques
• Apply media productions skills and techniques
• Review own progress and development of skills and practices

Component 3 – External – 40%

• AO1 Understand how to develop ideas in response to a brief
• AO2 Develop planning materials in response to a brief
• AO3 Apply media production skills and techniques to the creation of a media product

Media Studies A Level is designed to allow students to draw on their existing media experiences and develop their ability to respond critically. We enable students to explore a wide variety of media, including digital media technologies, drawing on the fundamental concepts informing the study of the media: texts, industry and audiences. The course encourages creative work and personally develops production skills.
Students have the opportunity to explore a variety of social, political, ideological and contextual discourses guided by theoretical knowledge.  Students explore ideas such as “All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values.” Marshall McLuhan, Current & Seaton Power and Profit theory, Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory, Van Zoonan’s feminist theory, Bell Hook’s representation theory and Stuart Hall’s theory of ‘The Other’ allowing them to gain a theoretical and critical understanding of the construction, reception and impact of the media today.

A Level Assessments

A Level Assessment Breakdown

Film Club runs on Thursday each week in ME1 with Ms Jallow and Mr Adepoju.

Intervention is a catch up club which is held for all year groups studying Media.  Intervention is particularly helpful for students who would like to improve the quality and accuracy of coursework and classwork.

At strategic points during the course students struggling to make progress will be asked to attend targeted intervention in order to achieve their target grade.