Autumn 2026 Media Studies subject update
Welcome to our Autumn 2026 newsletter
Hello. I hope you've had a wonderful summer break and found time to rest, recharge and enjoy a well-deserved pause before the new academic year begins.
As we start a new year, I'm delighted to introduce myself as the new Subject Lead for Creative Arts, taking over from Sandra Allan. I'm excited to be supporting you and look forward to connecting with more Media Studies teachers and hearing about the innovative, creative and thought-provoking work taking place in classrooms across the country.
This year is particularly exciting as we're expanding our Creative Arts Subject Support team, creating more opportunities to support you through additional Curriculum Connect sessions, centre visits, subject expert events and opportunities for your feedback to help shape the resources and support we provide. Our aim is simple: to be visible, accessible and responsive throughout the year.
This autumn's update includes important information about changes to our prescribed Close Study Products, including future arrangements for BlackpinkThe Game , updates to our Close Study Product booklets, and new standardisation resources to support internal assessment. We've also highlighted recently updated guidance on artificial intelligence and the recording and submission of non-exam assessment (NEA) evidence to help you deliver the specification confidently and compliantly.
Alongside these key updates, you'll find details of our upcoming Curriculum Connect sessions, professional development opportunities, examiner recruitment, and community partnerships designed to enrich Media Studies teaching and learning. Whether you're looking for support with assessment, curriculum planning or classroom practice, we're here to help throughout the year.
Media Studies continues to be one of the most exciting and relevant subjects for helping students understand, analyse and create within an increasingly complex media landscape. Thank you for everything you do to inspire critical thinking, creativity and curiosity in your learners.
I look forward to meeting many more of you over the coming year and working together to make it an exciting and rewarding one for Media Studies.
If any members of your team would like to receive subject-specific updates, they can easily sign up for AQA subject updates , so they’re always informed and part of our community.
Best wishes
David Amos
Subject Lead - Creative Arts
Stay up to date with assessment reform
This autumn, the Department for Education (DfE) is expected to launch its subject content consultation, confirming which subjects will be included in phase 1, sharing draft proposals and inviting feedback from teachers, schools and exam boards.
There’s nothing you need to do right now. When the consultation launches, we’ll help you understand what it means for you, what’s changing in phase 1 subjects and how you can have your say.
Help shape the future of digital assessment
We’d like to hear about your experiences of digital teaching, learning and assessment through a short survey.
By sharing your experiences, you’ll help us shape the guidance, resources and support teachers need as digital assessment continues to evolve.
The survey contains 24 questions, takes around 12 minutes to complete and closes on 1 November 2026. As a thank you, participants who complete the survey can enter a prize draw for the chance to win one of four £50 gift vouchers.
Curriculum Connect sessions
Join us at our upcoming Curriculum Connect sessions:
Exploring summer 2026
Join the AQA Creative Arts team for an overview of AQA results from the summer 2026 exam series. Explore national trends in your subject, including grade boundaries and outcomes, and gain valuable insights from examiner reports, highlighting key strengths and areas for development. We will also share a round-up of essential resources and upcoming events to support your teaching. Please note that student responses and commentaries will not be covered in this session; these will be explored in more detail in our national programme events.
NEA planning
Join us for a session designed to support your planning and delivery of non-exam assessment (NEA). We’ll provide an overview of the NEA brief and mark scheme, and clarify what is and isn’t permitted throughout the process. The session will also include key dos and don’ts, top tips for success, and an opportunity to ask questions directly to our Subject Support team during a live Q&A.
Media Studies
Live Q&A and networking: Come along, ask your questions and connect with others.
Explore our autumn Curriculum Connect sessions and book your place. You will also have the opportunity to meet the Creative Arts Subject Support team and connect with other teachers.
Community links
This autumn, AQA shines a light on some of the arts and cultural organisations it works with, highlighting the creative opportunities and support they can offer Media Studies teachers and learners.
Find out more about the creative organisations AQA collaborates with and the opportunities they offer Media Studies teachers and learners.
The Shine School Media Awards
A free national competition that rewards UK secondary school learners for creating a newspaper, magazine, podcast, digital publication, or other multimedia project.
Shine aims to create awareness for young people of the range of opportunities available in the media and graphic arts industries. It helps learners build practical skills in areas such as publishing, design, teamwork and leadership, while encouraging interest in future study or careers in the sector.
The 2027 competition launches on Monday 14 September 2026, with the entry form available from Monday 11 January 2027 and entries closing on Friday 7 May 2027.
Shortlisted schools will be invited to an awards ceremony in the City of London, with winning and highly commended entries receiving framed certificates, the overall winner receiving the Harrison Cup for one year and further opportunities, including work experience and Shine Masterclasses with industry experts.
To register for the competition, email Shine Media Awards at shine@stationers.org
British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
BBFC’s virtual school talks are now available to book for the 2026/27 academic year. These interactive sessions are delivered virtually and use age-appropriate media clips to bring the world of classification to life for your students.
Close Study Products (CSP) updates
GCSE Media Studies
The video game Blackpink The Game will cease operation on 31 August 2026, after which its website and accounts may no longer be accessible. To ensure learners are not disadvantaged:
- Summer 2027 exams: Blackpink The Game will remain a prescribed CSP. Assessment arrangements will ensure no negative impact on learners, and the availability of study resources will continue to be monitored.
- Summer 2028 exams: Blackpink The Game will be replaced by a new CSP. Details of the replacement will be provided by email for all schools in September 2026.
- The Blackpink music video will continue as a CSP and is unaffected by this change.
2028 new and improved CSP booklets
We’ve updated the GCSE and A-level Media Studies Close Study Products booklet on Centre Services to make it easier for you to navigate, with a clearer structure, linked contents page, refreshed examples and updated guidance to support planning and teaching.
New Teacher online standardisation (T-OLS) index
This new index supports T-OLS online by listing the GCSE and A-level Media Studies NEA work published each year for teacher standardisation. The examples cover a range of briefs, approaches and mark levels to help teachers standardise internally assessed work before moderation and support teaching through examples of different Media products. The tables below show the year, brief, description, candidate and mark for each piece of work. Current year examples do not include marks.
Notes and guidance updates
To support teachers in understanding compliance and specification delivery, we share notes and guidance in a range of areas for both GCSE and A-level. Our most recently updated resources include - Notes and guidance: Artificial intelligence (AI) guidance read alongside JCQ’s AI in assessments: protecting the integrity of qualifications document, and Notes and guidance: Recording and submitting NEA evidence.
Get more with myAQA
myAQA gives you access to everything you need to plan, teach and assess, including our secure extranet – Centre Services. Here you’ll find essential resources, such as the latest past papers, as well as Teacher Online Standardisation (T-OLS) and much more.
Don’t have a myAQA account yet? Complete a short form to get started. Once your Exams Officer has verified your registration, then you’re ready to go.
Free professional development and events
We have developed a range of live, on-demand and eLearning professional development training courses to help you develop your knowledge and classroom confidence. Some of the sessions coming up are:
- GCSE and A-level Media Studies: Mark scheme guidance and application for Media One and Media Two
- NEA marking
Explore our Media Studies professional development courses to view upcoming sessions and book your place.
Get involved and opportunities
Become an examiner or moderator: Becoming an examiner or moderator helps you deepen your understanding of specifications and mark schemes, improve your teaching and gain flexible professional development while earning extra income.
Student Advisory Group recruitment for 2026/27
Help your learners influence the future of exams
We’re looking for learners to join our Student Advisory Group for 2026/27. The group gives young people a direct opportunity to share their experiences and views on qualifications, assessments and the wider exam system. Their insights will help shape the future of the curriculum, qualifications and assessments for young people, as well as our work to offer new vocational qualifications.
If you know any learners who may be interested, please encourage them to apply – we’re looking for students who have taken AQA qualifications, though this is not essential, and they can be sitting general or vocational qualifications.
Applications open: Monday 7 September 2026
Applications close: 5.00pm on Monday 21 September 2026
Thank you for helping us raise awareness of this opportunity among your learners. For more information about the Student Advisory Group and details on how to apply, please visit our website.
NEA advisers
For subjects with non-exam assessment, it’s likely you’ll have an NEA adviser. Advisers are experienced teachers and moderators who can provide guidance throughout the academic year on delivering NEA. Find out more about AQA NEA advisers.
Adviser contact details are available on Centre Services from mid-September, so please check back then, as their contact details may have changed from last year. If you don’t have an assigned adviser, please contact us.
Stay connected
Whatever your question, our Subject Support team is here to help.
Email: mediastudies@aqa.org.uk
Call: 01483 556 301, Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm.