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Creative Media Studies

Mrs K Brennan - Head of Department

Welcome to the Creative Media Department

Creative Media is delivered across Key Stages 4 and 5, with our current provision offering GCSE Media Studies, A Level Media Studies and Level 3 BTEC Creative Media.

Key Stage 4 overview

KS4 Creative Media at Altrincham College aims to build on the and extend the cross-curricular knowledge and skills developed at KS3 and encourage students to consider, with a curious, critical and ambitious eye, the digital world in which we live, some of the many sectors within it, and the potential progression routes to which studying this qualification leads.

At this level students are offered an academic and theoretical approach to the subject, enabling an informed approach to the practical and creative content. Through development and application of a wide range of transferable skills, students are able to consider how their skills and knowledge have prepared them for KS5 Creative Media study, and puts them a step closer to a successful career in the media industry.

Students are offered a contemporary, accessible and creative course which is designed to widen the intellectual horizons of the learner through the analysis of a wide range of media forms and contexts. The GCSE specification will enable learners to develop a wider understanding and appreciation of the media in both a historical and contemporary context.

Students will develop key skills that prove their aptitude in creative media production and their suitability for KS5 study:

  • Demonstrate skills of enquiry, critical thinking, decision-making and analysis.
  • Acquire knowledge and understanding of a range of important media issues.
  • Develop appreciation and critical understanding of the media and their role both historically and currently in society, culture and politics.
  • Understand and apply specialist subject specific terminology to analyse and compare media products and the contexts in which they are produced and consumed in order to make informed arguments, reach substantiated judgements and draw conclusions about media issues.
  • Appreciate how theoretical understanding supports practice and practice supports theoretical understanding.
  • Develop practical skills by providing opportunities for creative media production.

GCSE Media Studies Overview

This qualification introduces learners to a range of contemporary media forms plus in-depth studies of one media form in each of the outlined ‘areas of focus’:

Component Area of Focus Assessment Method Percentage Towards Overall Grade
Component 1 Television and Promoting Media Exam to test knowledge 35%
Component 2 Music and The News Exam to test knowledge 35%
Component 3 Creating Media Coursework (NEA) 30%

This qualification enables learners to analyse, compare and produce media products using the theoretical framework and theoretical perspectives:

MEDIA LANGUAGE: how the media through their forms, codes and conventions communicate meanings.

MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS: how the media portray events, issues, individuals and social groups.

MEDIA INDUSTRIES: how the media industries’ processes of production, distribution and circulation affect media forms and platforms.

MEDIA AUDIENCES: how media forms target, reach and address audiences, how audiences interpret and respond to them, and how members of audiences become producers themselves.

Key Stage 5 Overview

KS5 Creative Media at Altrincham College aims to build on and extend the knowledge and progress gained at GCSE level, introducing a vocational prospective and fully preparing students for any of the following Creative Media-based post-18 progression routes: apprenticeship, training, higher education, career.

At this level students are offered a balance of academic, practical and creative content, providing a well-rounded curriculum provision and development of a variety of transferable skills. This enables students to consider how their skills and knowledge have prepared them for a successful career in the media industry, as well as the ongoing need to self-assess and professionally develop. There is a key focus on professional practice at this level.

Students will develop key skills that prove their aptitude in creative media production and their suitability for career, training and Higher Education provision such as:  

  • Investigating and developing ideas through pre-production, production and post-production of media products. 
  • Gaining experience in the processes that underpin effective ways of working in creative media production, such as responding to briefs and feedback, planning and generating ideas. 
  • Developing attitudes that are considered most important in creative media production, including personal management and communication. 
  • Developing knowledge that underpins effective use of skills, process and attitudes in the sector such as production processes and techniques.

OCR A Level Media Studies

This is a linear qualification with 70% external assessment by examination and 30% non-exam assessment (NEA).  It consists of two components that are externally assessed and one component that is assessed by the centre and externally moderated by OCR.

There are 2 examinations at the end of Yr13:

  • Paper 1 assesses students’ knowledge of News, Online Media, Media Language and Media Representation, focusing on set products, as identified by the exam board.
  • Paper 2 assesses students’ knowledge of Media Industries and Media Audiences in relation to the set products.

This paper also focuses on an in-depth study of one episode of a contemporary English TV Drama and one non-English TV Drama.

Additionally, students will complete a Non-Exam Assessment that gives them the opportunity to work independently and develop expertise that builds on areas of study from elsewhere on the course. They will create a cross-media magazine product in response to a brief. The ‘Making media’ component of the course allows students to create media products for an intended audience, by applying knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework of media to communicate meaning.

Some of the set products that will be focused on include: Snow White and Shang-Chi (films), Stranger Things (TV), The Big Issue (magazine), Animal Crossing (video game), David Guetta – Titanium (music video) and many more.

Key transferable skills and knowledge developed by studying this course:

  • Analytical skills
  • Evaluative skills
  • Creativity
  • Industry practice
  • Research techniques
  • Interpreting audience data
  • Literacy
  • Social, cultural and historical contexts

BTEC Nationals Level 3 Extended Certificate in Creative Media Production

The qualification is designed for post-16 learners who may want to study media-related degree courses in Higher Education or pursue a media-related career or other training programme.

Learners gain knowledge and understanding of creative digital media production across a range of TV and film-based units as well as developing a range of transferable skills.

Transferable skills developed include:

  • Research
  • Analysis
  • Critical reflection
  • Presentation
  • Group work
  • ICT application
  • Design
  • Communication
  • Ideas development
  • Literacy

Units covered on this course include:

  • Unit 1 Media Representations (media theory exam unit)
  • Unit 4 Pre-production techniques
  • Unit 8 Working to a Commission
  • Unit 10 Video Production

Meet the Creative Media Department

The department team consists of two members of staff:

Name Title

Mrs K Brennan

 Head of Creative Media
Mrs M Bond Teacher of Creative Media

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