Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of state secondary schools that currently offer GCSE Media Studies.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review predominantly focused on GCSE subjects that are taught as part of the national curriculum, so media studies and film studies were not specifically considered. The Review did, however, consider related issues through its wider work on media literacy, creative subjects and preparing young people for life and work.

In addition to the reform of the national curriculum, we have recently committed to transforming technical education from age 14. This will put technical and academic education on an equal footing and giving every young person access to high-quality pathways into skilled jobs and further study, including into media and the arts.

The department does not collect information on subjects that schools offer, but does collect data on GCSE entries. In 2025, 805 state-funded secondary schools in England had at least one entry in GCSE media studies. Schools choose which qualifications to offer.