Media Studies — Calendar
Semester 1, September 2026 – January 2027. Solid chips are the graded attainments; outlined chips are class tasks and homework; LB marks participation postings. The tinted band running under the days is the unit you’re in, with each lesson labelled where it begins. Holidays and the exam window are shaded.
A1–A4 / EoTclass task / homeworkLBunitholidayexam window
September 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
U1 · IntroductionL01 The Four Key ConceptsFirst teaching day
2
3
4
CS1 Denotation-only analytical paragr…
5
6
7
U2 · Media LanguageL02 Semiotics — How Images…
8
9
10
11
CS2 Annotated media text from daily l…
12
13
14
L03 Sign Types and Codes
15
16
17
18
CS3 Vocabulary quiz, 20 items
19
20
21
L04 Genre and Camera
22
23
CS4 Genre + camera analytical paragra…
24
25
Mid-Autumn Festival
26
27
28
L05 Narrative and the Plann…
29
LB1
30
October 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
National Day holiday
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
HW1 Break: A1-format analysis of a se…LB2
10
11
12
U3 · Macro and Textual AnalysisL06 A1 — Timed Media Langua…
13
14
A1 Timed media language analysis, unseen TV-dr…
15
16
L07 Reading Systematically…
17
18
19
20
21
CS5 Peer blog audit vs the mid-point…
22
23
24
25
26
U4 · RepresentationL08 Representation Applied…A2 C1 blog mid-point: posts 1–7
27
28
29
Mid-term report grades due
30
31
November 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
2
3
LB3
4
G11 Juniors Days
5
6
7
8
9
L09 The Gaze
10
11
12
13
CS6 Representation close-reading para…
14
15
16
L10 The Creative Critical R…
17
18
CS7 CCR draft review vs the real C1 c…
19
20
21
22
23
U5 · Media ContextsL11 Audiences and the Portf…
24
25
26
27
A3 C1 portfolio complete: product + CCR + date…
28
29
30
December 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
LB4
2
G11 Juniors Days
3
4
5
6
7
L12 Institutions and Sectio…
8
9
CS8 Guided Section A, mark scheme open
10
11
12
13
14
L13 A4 — Section A in Authe…
15
16
A4 C2 Section A in authentic format, unseen ex…
17
18
19
20
21
U6 · Revision and ConsolidationL14 Consolidation and the C…
22
23
LB5
24
Winter break
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
January 2027
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
Late-work cutoff
2
3
4
L15 Exam RehearsalHW2 Break: case-study revision pack +…
5
6
CS9 Timed Section B, 45 min
7
8
Last teaching day
9
10
11
L16 End of Term Exam and Re…EoT Full Component 2 paperExam window
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Grades & comments dueLB7
21
22
Last school day
23
24
Winter vacation
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Attainments & End of Term
- Wed 2026-10-14 — A1 Timed media language analysis, unseen TV-drama extract
- Mon 2026-10-26 — A2 C1 blog mid-point: posts 1–7
- Fri 2026-11-27 — A3 C1 portfolio complete: product + CCR + dated blog
- Wed 2026-12-16 — A4 C2 Section A in authentic format, unseen extract
- Mon 2027-01-11 — EoT Full Component 2 paper
Class tasks & homework
- Fri 2026-09-04 — CS1 Denotation-only analytical paragraph
- Fri 2026-09-11 — CS2 Annotated media text from daily life, ≥6 code labels
- Fri 2026-09-18 — CS3 Vocabulary quiz, 20 items
- Wed 2026-09-23 — CS4 Genre + camera analytical paragraph
- Fri 2026-10-09 (due) — HW1 Break: A1-format analysis of a self-chosen 2–3 min sequence
- Wed 2026-10-21 — CS5 Peer blog audit vs the mid-point checklist
- Fri 2026-11-13 — CS6 Representation close-reading paragraph, theorist embedded
- Wed 2026-11-18 — CS7 CCR draft review vs the real C1 criteria
- Wed 2026-12-09 — CS8 Guided Section A, mark scheme open
- Mon 2027-01-04 (due) — HW2 Break: case-study revision pack + one Section B essay plan
- Wed 2027-01-06 — CS9 Timed Section B, 45 min