MEDIA ARTS @ HAYES
OUR CURRICULUM PURPOSE
Within the academic exploration of Media, we develop a detached and critical approach to all media; providing students with the platform to continually question all the decisions that producers of media texts have taken in constructing their products and the ability to identify the technical codes used. Furthermore, we strive to reflect on the way media texts influence both the individual and society. We believe that the skills we teach, particularly the analytical skills, are vital to understanding the world in which young people will live their lives and that society would be improved if everyone had these skills.
UNDERSTANDING AND ANALYSING THE INFLUENCE OF MEDIA ON INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY
KEY FEATURES OF LEARNING
Across the curriculum, we equip students with a critical toolkit for navigating and understanding the impact of mass forms of communication on our world, both past and present. Through the course of study, we develop student’s awareness of the potential that the media has for enriching our lives and craft skills so that students can produce their own media and develop their own vision and creativity.
We have 5 different courses, but they all require a high degree of independent critical thinking and increasing levels of communication in all its forms. There is an important degree of creativity in all our subjects, a lot of which requires teamwork and resilience. All the courses also require students to be reflective about their own experiences and be able to compare and contrast those with a range of critical approaches.
These are implemented throughout all the research and assessed written tasks, as well as discussions and debates in class and final examinations. They are also evident in the way students apply the framework to their own creative work. We particularly assess the growing skill to accurately describe a text and then the ability to identify the use of particular technical codes to create meaning.
At the highest level we will see students develop their own sophisticated readings that are not afraid to challenge hegemonic ideology.
DEVELOPING LEARNERS
All forms of media are at the heart of modern life across the globe and will continue to be so. Media shapes a student’s ability to navigate and analyse the media to form their own judgements.
We are not a discreet subject at KS3 but do have two clubs which offer a starting point for understanding the subjects.
At KS4, the basic theoretical framework is taught. Students are given the terminology necessary for accurate academic analysis, along with an understanding of context and key concepts. A range of critical approaches are taught, covering important theorists. Students are taught how to use professional software packages and equipment.
At KS5, the emphasis is on building on these foundations to appreciate the complexity of possible readings of a range of media texts, and the importance of understanding the political, historical, cultural, and economic context behind texts. Practical work should start to approach professional standards and build learners that can shape the future of the industry.