Marcus Rashford to feature in AQA’s GCSE Media Studies course

Published: Wednesday 22 Sep 2021

Young people starting AQA’s GCSE Media Studies course this month will be learning about footballer Marcus Rashford MBE’s use of social media for the first time.

We’ve added the Manchester United and England star to our course following his increasing profile and influence due to his high-profile charitable work and his stance against racism in sport.

His addition to the course will not only enable young people to study his use of social media as a way of influencing and engaging, but it will also enable them to learn more about the social and race issues he raises.

This new addition to the course is part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. We are also establishing an equality, diversity and inclusion expert group to consider representation in the curriculum and assessment - and to ensure that decisions are informed by people who represent the full diversity of society.

Marcus Rashford has successfully used social media to promote his campaigns on food poverty, homelessness and books for children, and influenced government policy on food vouchers during the school holidays. He was also commended for his comments and response to the racist abuse he himself and other black England footballers received, after the Euro 2020 finals this summer.

Last year he encouraged numerous individuals and commercial companies to participate in fundraising and direct action to help people in need, receiving an MBE for services to vulnerable children in the UK during the height of the pandemic. He also became the youngest person to top The Sunday Times Giving List after he helped to raise £20m for the food charity FareShare.

Other new additions to our course from this year include Black Widow from the Marvel Universe, the Kiss Radio Breakfast Show, Heat magazine and the TV series ‘His Dark Materials’ based on the novels by Sir Philip Pullman.

Sandra Allan, AQA’s head of curriculum for Creative Arts, said:

“I’m really excited by the changes we’ve made – they’re engaging and relevant and will inspire and motivate.

“Marcus Rashford is one of the most influential and inspirational young people in the UK, so students can learn a huge amount from how he uses social media to make a real impact. It’s not just an opportunity for them to learn about social media – it’s also a great way to learn about important social and race issues as part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in the curriculum.

“Media studies is a contemporary and interactive subject which encourages students to develop their creative, analytical, research and communication skills, through exploring a range of media forms and perspectives. There has never been a better time to become a media studies student.”

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