Eduqas GCSE Media Studies: Curriculum Pathway (2026-2028)

This progressive journey fosters media literacy, creative confidence, and prepares students for future study and engagement within evolving media landscapes.

This three-year curriculum pathway, aligned with Eduqas GCSE Media Studies, empowers students to critically analyze and create media texts. Focusing on contemporary media representation and production, students will explore diverse forms—advertising, film, music, video games—through key theories and industry contexts. Year 9 builds foundational skills, Year 10 deepens analytical understanding, and Year 11 culminates in practical NEA production. This progressive journey fosters media literacy, creative confidence, and prepares students for future study and engagement within evolving media landscapes.

Eduqas GCSE Media Studies: Curriculum Pathway (2026-2028)

Year 9 (Exam 2028) – Foundations & Genre

• Autumn 1: Introduction to Media & Genre

  • Introduction to Media Language, Representation, Industry, and Audience – establishing a theoretical framework for analysis.

  • Exploration into Barbenheimer and Steve Neale’s Genre Theory – applying theoretical concepts to contemporary media products.

• Autumn 2: Film Marketing & Postcolonialism

  • James Bond Franchise: Man With The Golden Gun and No Time To Die – analyzing marketing strategies and film conventions.

  • Explorations: Laura Mulvey and the Male Gaze, Paul Gilroy and Postcolonialism – critical perspectives on representation within film.

• Spring 1: Pop Music Promotion & Representation

  • Lizzo and Justin Bieber – examining promotional strategies across different platforms.

  • Explorations: Stuart Hall - Representation Theory – understanding how media constructs meaning and identity.

• Spring 2: 1980s Pop Culture & Fandom

  • History of Music Video, Duran Duran, New Pop and MTV, Top of the Pops – contextualising the evolution of music promotion.

  • Exploration: Smash Hits Magazine and Henry Jenkins and Fandom – analysing the role of media in creating and sustaining fan communities.

• Summer 1: Video Games & Uses and Gratifications

  • History of Video Games and Fortnite – exploring the development and impact of video game culture.

  • Explorations: Uses and Gratifications Theory – understanding audience motivations and media consumption.

• Summer 2: British Multicultural Film & Intersectional Feminism

  • Blinded by the Light, East is East, and Rocks – analysing representations of British multiculturalism.

  • Exploration: The BFI, Bell Hooks and Intersectional feminism – critical perspectives on representation and social justice.

    
    

Year 10 (Exam 2027) – Historical Context & Production

• Autumn 1: Advertising & Regency Period

  • History of Advertising, Quality Street and NHS 111 – analysing advertising techniques and their social context.

  • Explorations: Regency Period – understanding historical influences on advertising and media.

• Autumn 2: Magazines & Conflict

  • History of Magazines, Vogue and GQ – examining magazine design, target audiences, and editorial content.

  • Explorations: He Named Me Malala and Taliban Conflict – analysing media representations of conflict and social issues.

• Spring 1: Crime Drama & Postmodernism

  • Genre, Trigger Point, The Sweeney, 21st Century Policing, and The 1970s – exploring the evolution of crime drama conventions.

  • Explorations: 1980s, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes, Postmodernism and Intertextuality – analyzing narrative techniques and cultural references.

• Spring 2: Radio & Public Service Broadcasting

  • History of Radio and Desert Island Discs – examining the role of radio in society and culture.

  • Explorations: Public Service Broadcasting and Curran and Seaton – analyzing the impact of media ownership and regulation.

• Summer 1: Pop Genre Exploration (NEA Link)

  • Hip Hop (2026) – in-depth exploration of a chosen pop genre, informing NEA production choices.

• Summer 2: NEA Pop Music Promotion

  Website and 40-second audio-visual content – practical media production project, applying theoretical knowledge.

Year 11 - Consolidation and Exam Technique (Exam 2026)

Autumn 1

• Newspaper Media: Historical context of newspapers, analysis of The Sun and The Guardian.

• Explorations: Examination of contemporary issues through newspaper coverage – focusing on the Partygate Scandal,  The Leveson Inquiry and the use of Political Satire. Connection to media ownership and regulation.

• Autumn 2

• Component 1 Revision + Mocks: Focused revision of all Component 1 Mock exam preparation and feedback.

• Spring 1

• Component 2 Revision + Mocks: Targeted revision of all Component. Mock exam preparation and feedback.

• Spring 2

• NEA Finalisation: Dedicated time for students to complete and refine their Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) project. Teacher feedback and peer review sessions.

• Summer 1

• Exams: Component 1

• Summer 2

• Exams: Component 2