We are delighted that for the second year running, one of our students has achieved the top mark in the world in Cambridge’s International A Level Media Studies. Evie O’ Sullivan who is off to IE Business School in Madrid, was one of 70 students studying Media in her year group at Hurtwood. Cambridge International Statistics show that 15.5 % of Mathematics students are awarded an A* whereas only 2.3% of Media students are awarded the highest grade. In this context the fact that 23 Hurtwood students (a third!) received an A* is extraordinary. We are extremely proud that one class was particularly high achieving - eight students were awarded an A* and the remaining four were awarded an A grade!

For the uninitiated, the Media Studies course teaches students practical filmmaking alongside rigorous academic topics. In the first year on the practical side students make an opening title sequence for a feature film (including a blog, film artwork and a marketing campaign) and in the second year the work becomes even more advanced with a music promotional campaign consisting of a music video, social media content and album artwork. In the written examinations students develop high level analytical skills and an insight into how producers target specific audiences with different distribution strategies. In the two rigorous written exams, students write five essays on a range of highly complex debates and theories such as Media regulation, online safety and postmodernism. They learn a raft of transferable skills similar to those in A Level History. They are taught to analyse texts and images and look at where sources came from, who produced them, for what audience and why. They begin to understand the way information is transmitted on different platforms and helps them to identify what is true - vital skills in today’s world.

Aside from the A Level here, for those who want a career in film, our ‘Film Academy’ takes their training to the next level. They make documentaries, film and broadcast Hurtwood productions live and experience traditional filmmaking methods using 16mm film. It is no surprise that Hurtwood alumni now include BAFTA nominated directors, cinematographers, and filmmakers working behind the camera. Arden Tse, a successful cinematographer stated “If it weren’t for Media Studies at Hurtwood, I wouldn’t be doing my dream job. I wouldn’t even know what my dream job was and I certainly wouldn’t be doing it for a living”.