A Level Media Studies 2025-26

Studying Media with ED6 gives you the chance to study the most up to date and important theories to the Media sector! We look at Audience, Industry, Developmental, Cultural, Feminist and Representational Theories and who we use them every day when we watch TV or play Video Games.

We will study a range of products and understand how they work; we will use the framework to disassemble TV shows and Films to better understand the how and why? And then we can use that research and knowledge to make some products of our own!

Over the 2-year Course we will look at a large range of activities, theories, and products before making our own based on briefs which set out the requirements for a TV show or a Video Game, maybe a Newspaper or an ad campaign. The briefs change every year so we will have new and fun opportunities to explore!

We will be looking at 4 key areas of Theory, Being Developmental, Cultural, Industry and Audience. We will then be looking at 9 Key areas of Media Products such as TV, Film, Radio Broadcasts, Newspapers, Adverts, Websites, Video Games, Music Videos and Magazines.

During these we will look at the different ways they make them, distribute them and how we are represented as both an audience and as people within the product. We will look at the way we are marketed too and the way we create our own product every time we interact with a community or fan event.

When you complete this course, you will have a strong and sturdy understanding of industry work and would be capable of going into the workplace and being a part of a creative team, whether that’s to operate equipment such as cameras, filming tools or editing final products you will be confident and capable in each way!

There are limitless job Opportunities you can move into after studying with us, as camera work for sporting events, working in the film industry, creating, and editing podcasts and distributing them online, editing for online creators and creating a portfolio of industry skills to work freelance hunting down contracts and working as your own boss.

Students we have had study with us have gone on to work both in industry and get lucrative positions at top universities to further their skills.

We will prepare you for going to university where you can specialise in your chosen route whether that be Media History or Practical work such as Cinematography, Lighting rigging, audio editing, camera crew, Media Technician roles, storyboard artist, Script writing, Set Safety and Set Organiser.

Each course is broken down into units specialised to both show you new and exciting job avenues but also to prepare and train you to use your current, new and future skills when you enter the workplace and get your first roll in industry placement. There are also many, many networking opportunities within university to better explore and add to your portfolio, these will also become invaluable tools to better prepare yourself for the future!

For a three A Level programme you will need to have a minimum of five 9-4 grade passes at GCSE which includes English and Mathematics.

For a four A Level programme you will need to have a minimum of six 9-4 grade passes at GCSE which includes English and Mathematics; it is expected that the majority of passes will be at 7-9 grade.

Our entry requirements are in place to support our students in achieving the qualifications they have chosen to study. In addition to the entry requirements, all students will be regularly assessed by East Durham College at an early stage in their study programme. This is to ensure that students are enrolled onto courses which suit their abilities – following assessment, there may be occasions when students are transferred to a relevant course at a higher or lower level in order to ensure they are enrolled on to the right course for them to achieve and progress.

Entry onto any course at EDC may have entry requirements in addition to exam results; this includes but is not limited to DBS checks, references, fitness to practice and at times physical requirements to be capable of achieving the practical elements of the course without assistance. Entry onto any course at East Durham College is subject to final approval from the Assistant Principal.

Our exam board for Media Studies is AQA, we operate under their A Level program in which we spend the first year studying the 9 formats of Media product, we use the framework of industry and audience to break them down and then we apply our theoretical knowledge to them to better understand the how and why they are made. This theory research is used across both years.

At the end of year one you will sit 2 Mock Exams based on the theories and products we have covered, and this will become your progressive grade.

Year 2 will begin with your Non-Exam Assessed course work in which we will create a media product of our own! We will receive a brief from AQA outlining what we need to include and then we apply out new theory knowledge and make some very interesting and fun products designed to follow industry framework and test our ability! Your NEA project covers 40% of your Total Grade for the 2 years.

Then at the end of Year 2 there are 2 Externally set exams which will constitute 60% of your overall grade.

September 2025

Two years, full time.