Global Academy’s curriculum flawlessly integrates Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, equipping students with essential skills and real-world experience for promising careers in the creative media industry.
At Global Academy – we are committed to offer a unique educational experience for students of diverse backgrounds who aspire to pursue a career in the media industry. This is known as the ‘four-year’ journey, a holistic approach that prepares students for the creative media industry through a carefully structured curriculum that spans both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5.
The ‘four-year’ journey is built on a strong intent, with our primary goal being to prepare students for the dynamic and competitive creative media industry. Our guiding principle is to provide comprehensive and relevant training that bridges the gap between Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the demands of the industry. This journey includes a mastery model, project-focused learning, scaffolding, a media toolkit, real-world industry projects, and a strategic alignment of GCSE options in Key Stage 4 that create a talent pipeline for specialized pathways in Key Stage 5. With this approach, Global Academy ensures that every student’s educational journey is a launchpad for a successful and fulfilling career in the media industry.
Intent
Our primary goal is to prepare students for the creative media industry, and this overarching objective forms the foundation that bridges Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, serving as our guiding principle.
Implementation
At both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, we guide students towards attaining a qualification accredited by the University of Arts London Awarding Body (apart from a small selection of KS5 students studying T Levels). Our curriculum is thoughtfully structured to instill essential production skills, aligning with the contemporary industry demands. Collaboration with industry associates, our industry board, and our dedicated teaching staff ensures that students receive comprehensive and relevant training across both key stages:
Below are six examples of how Global Academy’s media curriculum seamlessly bridges Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 with a clear intent to prepare students for careers in the creative media industry:
1. The curriculum adheres to a mastery model, featuring standardised assessment criteria within the UAL Awarding Body frameworks
2. It places a strong emphasis on project-oriented learning each term to establish foundational media skills.
3. Employing scaffolding during the initial years of Key Stage fosters a robust comprehension of the subject.
4. Commencing with a media toolkit ensures consistent skill development within both key stages.
5. Students engage in real-world industry projects at both stages, cultivating professionalism and entrepreneurial abilities.
6. The Key Stage 4 curriculum aligns with GCSE options, facilitating the transition to specialised Key Stage 5 pathways..
1. Mastery Model and Assessment:
Our UAL curriculums adhere to a mastery model, where students must meet all the specified criteria at the same level in their year-end summative assessments (FMP) to achieve a given grade. For instance, to earn a Distinction grade, all criteria must meet the Distinction level. Consistency is maintained by upholding consistent criteria and ensuring a standardised approach to application and comprehension in both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5.
2. Termly Project Focus
Both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 adopt a project-focused approach during the first year of the course (Year 10 and Year 12). Here, students concentrate on developing one skill at a time, such as video editing, to build a solid foundation.
This approach equips them with a range of media skills they can subsequently apply to more intricate and demanding project tasks in the second year (Year 11 and Year 13).
In Key Stage 4, students will engage with a wide array of media skills, encompassing audio, video, design, and business planning, as part of their Media Lessons. Simultaneously, they will have the option to select two complementary GCSE subjects (Art, Music, Drama, Computer Science, Business). This inclusive approach establishes a fundamental base of media production knowledge, skills, and behaviours – serving as a pathway for specialisation in Key Stage 5.
3. Use of Scaffolding
Scaffolding plays a comparable role in both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. For instance, during the initial year of the course (Year 10 and Year 12), students receive support in the form of industry examples, predefined assets, and scripts to facilitate the creation of production activities within established guidelines. In the subsequent year of the courses (Year 11 and Year 13), students are afforded the opportunity to adopt a more self-reliant approach to their production work, building upon the structured learning provided in the first year.
4. The Media Toolkit:
In both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, we initiate the curriculum with a ‘Toolkit’ approach. This approach ensures that all students start with the same knowledge and skills, creating a level playing field. We guide them through the essential production tools, teaching them from the ground up, over the first term in Year 10 and Year 12.
5. Industry Briefs
Both at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, students engage in authentic industry projects commissioned by clients. These real-world scenarios provide students with the chance to apply the production skills they’ve acquired in their studies, ultimately delivering professional-grade outcomes to clients and industry partners. This practical experience is recurrent throughout both key stages, not only upholding industry standards in production but also fostering an entrepreneurial spirit and professional approach in our students.
6. GCSE Curriculum Options Form the Base of KS5 Pathways
The Key Stage 4 curriculum intentionally offers a broad array of specialised subjects, with a carefully considered selection designed to create a talent pipeline for Key Stage 5 pathways, as outlined below:
All Students – Level 2 UAL Creative Media Production and Technology
KS5 Pipeline: Content Production Pathway
GCSE Option – UAL Art and Design
KS5 Pipeline: Art, Design and Media Pathway
GCSE Option – RSL Media Production – Social Media and Business
KS5 Pipeline: Media Business Pathway
GCSE Option: OCR Computer Science
KS5 Pipeline: Pearson Digital Design, Development and Production (T Level)
