Media Studies A Level

The General entry requirements for A Level courses are six GCSEs grades 9-4 and above, including English Language.

Grade 4 English

Media and communication are at the centre of our everyday lives. At home, at work, at college or while travelling we are rarely far away from mediated sounds, images or words in the form of TV, film, radio, music, Internet, magazines, newspapers or games. The media entertain us, enable connections with friends and communities, provide interpretations of the world around us and offer us resources for creating identities and imaginations. We live in a media culture, a media society. Media Studies at St Charles gives you the opportunity to investigate how the media work in society and to understand the role that the media play in our complex world. The balance of media theory and practical media production on the course means that you will learn about how media industries operate, research and investigate issues and debates about the role of the media in society, analyse media products in depth and produce amazing media of your own. 

The GCE ‘A’-level Media Studies is a two year course.

The course is assessed by 30% non-exam assessment and 70% written examination in the final year.

The course is studied in half term blocks with an emphasis on building your independent learning, critical analysis, literacy, media production and research skills.

Homework is three to five hours per week plus reading.

Each half term you will complete two written or practical assignments to assess what you have learnt on the course and prepare for the exam.

Every student is required to work hard, to aim for the highest grades and to achieve excellence.

Media studies naturally leads to exciting careers in TV, film, journalism, web development, marketing, advertising, social media or public relations. An awareness of how the world of media works can also support other careers, such as business, commerce, law, finance, medicine, the arts, social work, and education. By knowing how the media operate you’ll be able to decode messages more skillfully, understand how to use the media to your advantage and engage with topics and issues that interest you.

Many of our students go on to university to study media, cultural or communication studies as academic subjects. Many more choose to study and train on media, film and TV production courses or apprenticeships as a way into exciting careers in the creative, media and marketing industries.

"I enjoy learning about the different media theorists and how media is used in everyday life in areas such as business and economics. Mr Jones is helpful as he provides us with the resources to understand what we are studying. This subject has helped me improve my skills and he has helped me when writing essays. Thank you!"

"What I enjoy most is we aren’t restricted in our ideas, we can express our personality in our work and reflect our character which is great. The teachers are great help, giving us resources and the topics are well presented and full of information. This subject has also helped me manage my time."

"Studying Media has changed my perspective and the way I look at media texts such as images. Valuable information such as hidden codes, used in most media products to influence meaning, would be ignored because I didn’t think there was a way to break it down to understand the true meaning behind it. I’m truly grateful to have great teachers by my side to strengthen my academic roots, here at St. Charles." 

"Mr Jones’ advice and teachings in Media have been indescribably invaluable from the first lesson, and so far this year have already helped me go from a C to and A. He has not only given me a better understanding of the course but of the world of media around me and has been an amazing, helpful and kind teacher, as well as a person." 

"Media Studies is a truly brilliant course to take. It’s mixes theory with practice and really gives you a whole new way of thinking about the world around you."

"Media has changed the way I look at media texts. It has helped me to become more analytical in my approach to television, film and advertisements."

"Media Studies is a useful subject. It interlinks with other subjects like sociology and psychology as it incorporates the study of theories and theorists."

We are privileged to work with a range of brilliant partner organisations to enhance your learning experience and to provide you with the best Media Studies course possible. Our learning partners include the Adobe Youth Voices program, filmmaker Amanda Blue, the British Film Institute, trips and screenings organized by Into Film and projects coordinated by Eastside Educational Trust. You can follow us on Twitter @stcharlesmedia to keep up with all the latest news, gossip and events from the students and the department.

Mr A.Jones M.A. Head of Media Studies. Interests: Media and critical theory, popular culture, big loud action movies, media technologies. Artist. 

Plus visiting trainers and speakers.