The aim of the department is to promote the knowledge, understanding, and enjoyment of Media Studies. Students at Wycliffe should become creative, reflective and responsible consumers and producers of media.

The department strongly believes in the concept of active learning. In subjects such as Media, students cannot simply be passive recipients of the teacher’s knowledge. While they will be provided with guidance, they will be encouraged to think for themselves, learn through experience and to draw their own conclusions. Within exercises there will often be more than one route to completion. Research, presentation and discussion are actively encouraged as these skills foster and reinforce a higher level of understanding. The department is always seeking to improve its delivery of the subject and successful approaches are discussed and shared wherever possible.

There are two aspects to A level Media Studies; 50% of the qualification comprises written work and 50% comes from the production of media artefacts.

In theory lessons, students learn the techniques of text deconstruction and analysis.  This is supported by the theoretical study of issues such as representation, narrative, genre, ideology and audience studies. Case studies examine how media products are made and, crucially, why they are made this way. There is detailed theoretical and applied study of a media industry and how they interact with audiences including the use of new media technologies.

In practical lessons students are taught how to use industry-standard software including PhotoShop, Dreamweaver, iMovie, Final Cut Pro and GarageBand to create professional-level products. There are opportunities to create films, cinema trailers, TV and print adverts, music videos, magazine covers and pages, radio programmes, web sites and documentaries.

Subjects

Biology
Careers Department
Chemistry
Drama
Economics & Business Studies
ESOL
History GCSE
History AS & A2 Level
ICT
Mathematics
Media Studies
Modern Foreign Languages French
Modern Foreign Languages German
Modern Foreign Languages Japanese
Modern Foreign Languages Spanish
Music
Physical Education
Psychology