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Creative Media

Learning in Creative Media

Within the Creative Media Curriculum, we want to enable learners to acquire technical knowledge and technical skills in vocational contexts by investigating, exploring and creating media products.

We recognise the value of learning skills, knowledge and vocational attributes. We will broaden the learners’ experience and understanding of sector-specific skills in a practical learning environment.

The main focus is on four areas which cover:

  • the development of key skills that prove your aptitude in creative media production such as investigating and developing ideas through pre-production, production and post-production of media products.
  • the process that underpins effective ways of working in creative media production.
  • the attitudes that are considered most important in creative media production, including personal management and communication.
  • the knowledge that underpins effective use of skills, process and attitudes in the sector such as production processes and techniques.

Curriculum Intent

Within the Media Curriculum, we want to develop learners who aspire to brilliance. We have designed a curriculum that is creative, inventive and artistic.

Students live in a media-saturated world. They have an accumulation of differing media that is designed to affect them in some way. From video clips on their phones, to TV ads, to blockbuster movies, to posters at the bus stop, to the music in their headphones, they are surrounded by media messages for most of their waking hours. Media Studies teaches students to begin to analyse and make sense of them all. Students develop and understanding of what the media is trying to communicate — both on an obvious and a less obvious level. They can then analyse how they have been influenced – consciously or subconsciously – by these media messages.

Media Studies helps students to develop an important set of life skills that will help them navigate the rest of their education and then, their working lives. As students experience aspects of cultural diversity, they become more empathetic as they develop a secure understanding of the views and values of other communities.

KS4, Year 10 & 11 Creative Media

To support all learners, including SEND, access content we focus on high quality teaching, alongside the use of a wide range of supportive resources including structured pre teaching, support decoding exam questions and modelling answers. We use exemplar material to help support students with their coursework and exam answers. We use retrieval questioning, to build student confidence and develop memory techniques to allow students to recall and understand the key exam content. Where exam arrangements are required in the form of readers, scribes and word processing, we work closely with relevant departments to ensure this provision is provided. Assignments may also be adapted giving extra instructions within BTEC regulations, or breaking down tasks which can then be delivered in smaller ‘chunks’.

At Key Stage 4, our students follow the Pearson Tech Award in Creative Media Production Level 1/Level 2.

Component numberComponent titleGLHLevelHow assessed
1Exploring media products361/2Internal
2Developing digital media production skills361/2Internal
3Create a media product in response to a brief481/2External

The three components focus on the assessment of knowledge, skills and practices. These are all essential for progression and, therefore, learners need to pass all components in order to achieve the qualification.

The components are interrelated and they are best seen as part of an integrated whole rather than as totally discrete study areas. Learners will normally take this qualification over a two-year period or longer. This means that they must be given the opportunity to build their confidence in understanding the sector, vocational contexts and vocational attributes over a long period before they are assessed. As the interrelated components are not linked to occupational roles, certification is not available at component level.

Proposed structure of the course

 Term 1Term 2Term 3Term 4Term 5Term 6
Year 10Component 1 – Exploring Media ProductsComponent 2 – Developing Digital Media Production Skills
Year 11Component 2 – Developing Digital Media Production SkillsComponent 3 – Create a Media Product in Response to a Brief 

Careers

Studying this course can lead to further areas of study such as BTEC Level 3 Creative Media Studies. This course is a further development of the Level 2 course. This could lead on to university to pursue careers such as:

  • Journalism
  • Teaching
  • Retail, film and TV, publishing
  • Video production
  • Advertising
  • Sound engineer
  • Art director
  • Technical Writer
  • Content strategist

Links

Fundamental British Values

  • The Equalities Act – Discussions and analysis of representations of protected groups. E.g. representation of gender, disability, race and sexuality.
  • The rule of law – The role of media governing bodies such as ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) and BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) show the law provides for effective monitoring of different organisations. See also individual liberty, censorship and freedom of speech.
  • Individual liberty – Freedom of speech within the media, particularly within the realm of social networking and self-publication.
  • Censorship – The controls and regulations that exist about media content. Censorship powers can be held by governments or regulatory bodies.
  • Bias – A prejudice for or against a particular idea, place, group or individual. Biased reporting in the media may be demonstrated by tone or style, but also by selection or omission. A newspaper story may be biased not because of what’s included, but what’s left out.
  • Dominant cultural values – The beliefs held by the majority of people in society about what sort of behaviour is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable. These beliefs are so strong that they seem ‘just natural’ but if they are not constantly reinforced they can break down.
  • Public Service Broadcasting – Television and radio programmes that are broadcast to inform, entertain or educate the public, without trying to make a profit.

Further Reading

The Media Student’s Book – Gill Branston and Roy Stafford

The Story of Film: A concise history of film and an odyssey of international cinema – Mark Cousins

Digital Culture: understanding new media – Glen Creeber and Royston Martin

Key Themes in Media Theory – Dan Laughey

Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide – Henry Jenkins

Key Concepts and Skills for Media Studies – James Baker

Careers: