Every single day, you are bombarded with thousands of media messages. This course gives you the toolkit to dismantle those messages and understand exactly how modern media shapes our politics, our cultures, our industries and our identities.

Using four key areas of the media framework – language, representation, audiences and industry – we study a range of forms, from 1950s print adverts to contemporary television and video game franchises.

You’ll analyse how media products are constructed and how they communicate meaning to the audience. You’ll also study how the media functions as a business and how it is adapting in the digital age.

Like all A Levels, it is an essay-based subject, but you will also have the opportunity to develop your practical skills in the coursework component.

Two written exam papers worth 35% each and one non-exam cross-media production worth 30%.

Many students go on to higher education, studying rewarding subjects such as English, sociology, journalism, marketing, publishing and film.

The North West boasts the biggest media hub in the UK outside of London and there are also exciting degree pathways in the creative industries, including roles in design, film and video game production.