We live in a world where the media are omnipotent: an increasing number of people spend a great deal of time watching television and reading newspapers and magazines; often more than they do attending lessons in school. We need to accept the impact of the media and appreciate their importance as elements of culture in today’s world.

The school and the family share the responsibility of preparing the young person for living in a world of powerful images, words and sounds. Children and adults need to be literate in all three of these symbolic systems. The Media Studies department aims to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes which will encourage the growth of critical awareness and as such our schemes of work include the detailed analysis of media products, as well as the use of media as means of creative expression.

Production work is an important component of this course. The purpose of production work is for students to put theory into practice, by demonstrating knowledge and understanding of technical skills in their own media production, as well as to engage them in creative, imaginative and aesthetic activity. All production work is fully integrated into the teaching of Advanced Subsidiary GCE and Advanced GCE Media Studies and is not seen as an isolated aspect of the course. To that end, production work at Advanced Subsidiary GCE and Advanced GCE does not provide vocational training, although it may serve to help candidates discover and develop new aptitudes which they may wish to pursue in a vocational context.

Click this link to go to Mr Brogden's own Media Studies Site