Film Studies

Intent

At MEPA Academy, our GCSE Film Studies curriculum aims to empower students to explore, analyse and create film in a way that builds both cultural literacy and creative confidence. As a performing arts-focused institution, we value film as a collaborative art form that complements our wider artistic ethos.

We intend for students to:

• Understand how film communicates meaning through visual, technical, and narrative codes.
• Explore diverse cultural perspectives through a range of US and global films.
• Develop their creative voice through the planning and production of original work.
• Engage critically with representation, ideology and audience positioning in media.
• Build transferable skills in analysis, storytelling, and technical production that enrich both academic and artistic learning across MEPA’s curriculum.

Implementation

Recognising MEPA Academy’s timetable constraints and creative focus, Film Studies is delivered as a three-year programme, with Year 9 and Year 10 taught together in a spiral curriculum model, and Year 11 taught separately.

Year 9–10 (Mixed Class)

• Delivered as a two-year rolling cycle:
  • - Cycle A covers Film Language, Classical US Cinema, and Short Films.
  • - Cycle B covers Post-1960s US Film, Global Cinema, and Comparative Analysis.
• Each concept is revisited over time, with Year 9 students building foundational knowledge and Year 10 students deepening analytical skills.
• Lessons combine:
  • - Short clip analysis
  • - Visual still annotation
  • - Group discussion
  • - Scaffolded writing tasks
• Assessment includes low-stakes tests, scene analysis, and short essays, aligned with GCSE components.

Year 11 (Dedicated Class)

• Autumn & Spring Terms:
  • - Component 3 (NEA) — students plan, create and evaluate either a short film or screenplay.
• Spring & Summer Terms:
  • - Focused revision and exam technique for Component 1 (US Film) and Component 2 (Global Film).
  • - Timed essay writing and analysis of unseen texts to prepare for written exams.

Impact

At MEPA Academy, the impact of Film Studies is evident in the growing confidence and creativity of our students. Despite only one hour per week, our structured, layered approach enables students to:

• Analyse film texts fluently, using accurate technical vocabulary and understanding of cinematic style.
• Appreciate film as a global and historical art form, connecting social, political and cultural contexts.
• Produce original, high-quality creative work, showcasing MEPA's strengths in performance, storytelling, and visual composition.
• Achieve success in formal assessments, both in coursework and written exams, by the end of Year 11.

We measure impact through:

• Marked analytical work and creative planning tasks
• NEA project completion (film/screenplay + evaluation)
• Regular retrieval and self-assessment activities
• Final GCSE outcomes and progression to further creative study.

Above all, Film Studies at MEPA Academy supports students in becoming curious, critical, and creative thinkers — qualities essential to both their academic journey and future participation in the arts.