Intent for curriculum 

Our intent for the Media curriculum at Bishop Heber is to enable students to become more critically aware of the media that they consume. Our intention is for students to develop these skills in both a theoretical and practical sense. Each media student should be equipped with the ability and skills to engage, participate and communicate with a range of media products enabling them to become better communicators, not just through media products but also face to face.  

In an increasing media saturated society, we are passionate about enabling students to fully understand the power and influence media can have, from a multi-national conglomerate, to a seemingly simply post on a social media account. The media curriculum should be an opportunity for all students to learn about contemporary history, different cultures and different social groups from their own. These key concepts should be taught through a variety of techniques and media forms to make the curriculum as accessible as possible.  

Students who have studied media, either at Key Stage 4 or Key Stage 5, should leave Bishop Heber with a greater understanding of the world around them and how to communicate with all the people that live in it.  

Implementation of curriculum 

The Media curriculum is delivered at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 through a variety of different courses and pathways. Our aim is always to make the curriculum as accessible as possible. In the first instance this is achieved by the optional pathways at Key Stage 4. We offer both the GCSE as well as the Cambridge National in Media and whilst a lot of the content is similar the forms of assessment are very varied. On the Cambridge National the students are internally assessed on 75% in comparison to the GCSE which is 30%. This broadens the range of courses and allows for students with different strengths to access the media course for them.  

The department is well-resourced with IT facilities, cameras, video cameras and the complete Adobe Creative Suite. Having these resources allows students the option to produce a variety of media products such as web sites, music videos, magazines, and TV Dramas.  

Impact of curriculum  

We are confident in the design of our curriculum and in the methods of which it is delivered. Media studies is a growing subject in the school, and we believe this is the result academic success and the optional pathways at Key Stage 4.  

Media students are assessed regularly and in a variety of ways. As the GCSE and A Level courses are predominantly exam based the exam style assessments start reasonably quick during the Autumn term. Getting students to fully understand the requirements of an exam that is 20 months away as early as possible has benefited them by increasing their confidence in exam scenarios due to their familiarity with what they are presented with.   

The CNAT students are assessed just as regularly but with different approaches. They are assessed on research, planning, production and evaluative skills far more often that any exam style responses. This approach to the curriculum reflects the specification criteria of the CNAT whilst also allowing students to develop a variety of skills and abilities.  

Whilst the Media department is one of the smallest in the school we still hold ourselves to the same excellent standards of that all others at Bishop Heber. Lesson observations and work scrutiny take place as well as moderation, both for NEA and Exam work, each academic year and have benefited non-specialist teachers in the past.  

We have seen an increase in the number of students progressing to Higher Education to study a media based course at University. Successful results at A Level are significant in this but we believe this is the result of our broad curriculum and choosing specifications that are wide ranging and accessible, showing students a wide range of possibilities and teaching them a variety of skills.