school magazine analysis- preliminary task

1. School magazine
Charlotte Kelly

2. • For this task we were asked to research other school magazines and
evaluate them, using this knowledge we were then asked to design our
own school magazine front cover and contents. We had to research what
people would expect to see in school magazines and when designing our
own versions keep into consideration the audience, main titles, pictures etc.
Also we had to take our own set of photos to put onto our cover/contents.

3. It tells you that it is issue number 2; this suggests that
it is quite a new design and therefore is still in it’s
early stages of development.
This newsletter does not have a specific
masthead/headline that is personal to it’s
school. The headline is a generic headline,
however it is informative and leads you to
think they’re published each season or term.
What makes the whole piece more clear is the fact it lists
what’s in this newsletter. It’s accurate to it’s purpose as it
updates you precisely and is line with the rest of the text.
Considering it is in it’s early stages of
development the page as a whole looks
rather skilled. There is a clear colour
scheme that promotes the colours within
the school logo; yellow, green and white.
The colour scheme and font style is
consistent which highlights it’s
professionalism. It is simplistic yet well
thought out.
Textual analysis of school magazine front covers
The fact the newsletter includes it’s school
logo twice shows that it is proud to be
representing the school. Also by choosing a
logo rather than a photograph could make it
more appealing as it’s more clear
Something which takes away from the
overall professional look is the fact the
2014 falls of the line/curve. Little issues
like this make the whole thing less
skilled.
The content is what you would
expect. Advice for results day and
returning to school. The main
headline is very clear, and also the
term times are very distinct and easy
to understand. Overall the content is
well thought out and the green on
the white background is a very
efficient choice.
The tag line at the bottom is clear and reflects the attitude of this school. It’s short and punchy, however the spacing in between each word is not equal and
therefore it doesn’t fit it in with the whole professional look of the newsletter. The actual text promotes a positive and colour atmosphere, which is reflected in
the content.

4. ‘Wilmo Weekly.’ The use of alliteration in the title
makes it more catchy and memorable. The font
could be described as quite tacky, as it is very
stylized and does not fit in with the rest of the
cover. It’s also a clear contrast to the boy in the
picture, as he is very smartly dressed which could
portray the magazine as quite un-reliable.
The fact it says Autumn edition yet the
title says ‘Wilmo Weekly’ suggests that is
not a weekly magazine and therefore is
portraying false information and does not
inform the audience correctly. Again
making the magazine as a whole seem
less consistent.
There is not a consistent colour scheme which exposes the fact it is not very professionally made,
however the font style and use of capital letters is constant within the taglines and the important
words are a different colour which allows them to stand out and helps the audience understand the
story lines.
The main image or the figure shows a young student,
whom looks happy and working away in a school
environment. He’s smiling down at his work and does
not make eye contact with the camera which could show
how involved he is with his work, and therefore
reflecting the school’s dedication to it’s students. This
image creates a positive atmosphere towards school and
education itself. The boy looks smartly dressed and well
represented which gives the impression that it’s a
professional and accomplished school. Also the fact it’s
the only image and is set as the background to the font
shows that this magazine is based around the students
of the school, hinting at the fact it could have been
made by the students themselves.
The content within the magazine is unclear as it’s hard
to make a distinction between the different story lines.
The difference in font size represents each story, for
example ‘maximise your concentration’ and ‘decrease
your workload’ is one story. All of the text highlights the
purpose and context of the magazine; education.
There is 2 strap/sell lines which all relate to
relieving stress and being happy within a school
environment. This could portray that students are
stressed due to GCSE’s or A levels so the
magazine would be appealing to them and
therefore it is focusing on a specific audience.
Textual analysis of school magazine front covers

5. (results from 20 people)
Audience Research:
What do you expect to see in a school magazine?
Answer Amount of people
School events 1
School information 3
End of term bulletin boards 1
Clubs 2
Exam advice (GCSE and A levels) 5
Photos of previous events 1
Logo 1
Exam results 1
Outside of school achievements 2
Bullying advice 2
UNI days 1

6. (results from 20 people)
Audience Research:
How often do you expect it to be issued?
Answer Amount of people
Once a month 3
Once a year 1
Everyday 3
Once a week 1
Once a term 10
Once every 6 months 2

7. AS Media Studies Preliminary Task – School Magazine Front Page Proposal Form
Target audience:
(age range, interests)
Although it is a school newsletter you still have to think about your audience
and how to appeal to them.
The target audience for my school magazine is not just students but teachers and parents/carers. Therefore the content can not just be based around a younger audience but a range of
ages, a younger person’s taste would not appeal to older audiences. The purpose of a school magazine is to inform the parents on the events at the school and the recent events of the
students. It’s a way for the school to present itself properly and show it’s full potential to students and parents, therefore I will aim to cover all audiences. The interests of the parents will
be different to the interests of the students, so I will aim to find a medium between the both. For example I intend to make the overall look of the magazine professional but include only
necessary text and include a variety of relevant pictures. Students of a high school are aged 11-18, and therefore are a quite mature audience anyway and could have similar interests in
education with an older audience.
Possible title ideas:
(masthead / title block)
What is your magazine going to be called?
Priory Journal
Priory Affairs
Priory Inc.
Priory Vogue
TPS Digest
Priory Parade
Main image:
What will be the focal point of your front page, remember, your work “must
include a photograph of a student in a medium close-up”
I will include a photograph of a student in a medium close up, which can then be updated every issue and can change from a red jumper, to grey jumper to sixth form student. By keeping
a consistent background but updating a smaller picture every issue, it keeps the basic scheme of the cover yet adds an interesting adaption every time. The main image of my first issue will
be a picture of the Dr Hadwens trust and team.
Main cover line:
What will be the main story?
The main story of my cover will be relevant to main events each term, for example this month I am going to have the main cover line as the Dragons business competition. Two teams of
four from A level business are competing in the Hertfordshire business challenge where they are aiming to raise £100-£1000+ for charity. One of the charities being Dr. Hadwens trust who
funds non-animal testing.
Additional key images:
What other images will be on your front cover?
Remember, it is a school magazine.
In the first issue there will be an image of the charity and the team members competing in this competition. Another image will also be the background- the school logo.
Additional cover lines:
Other features, stories or selling points which will be inside the magazine, these
need to be audience appropriate.
Other stories the first issue will include is an introduction to the school year, welcoming everyone to the school and edging them back into education. Also it will include the overall A
level and GCSE results from last year- the results were highly positive so this is promoting the school in a positive atmosphere and staring the magazine off on a high. Also by welcoming
everyone back into the school year is a good starter point for the first issue.
Typography:
(style, size, colour of copy)
Think about the writing and the style of the writing on your front page.
The mast head, main story lines and other story lines are going to be clear and bold to stand out from the quite simple background. I will follow a consistent colour scheme, and use
similar font throughout to keep the cover and contents page consistent. Also the style of writing on the front page and contents will be clear and basic, but not too childish to appeal to all
audiences. The main headline and picture are going to be quite centred to reflect their importance.
Background colour/image:
What will be in the background, remember you don’t want to take the focus
away from the main image.
The main image/ background will be the Priory school’s logo to promote the school and make the magazine more memorable. The logo is also timeless and therefore can be used for every
issue of the magazine, by doing this again it makes the whole magazine more unforgettable and more recognizable. It will be an opaque background so it doesn’t take away from the rest of
the content.
Technical considerations:
(equipment, setting, props, costume, lighting)
Be realistic and creative, think about what you have access to and how you
could use it.
I will use Photoshop to make my front cover and contents, to make them look more professional and efficient. I will use a basic camera to take a picture of the Dr. Hadwens trust work
and the team members who are taking part in the competition, then I will put it into Photoshop to manipulate and adapt the image. I will take the image in the sixth form common room,
a suitable working environment. The lighting will be bright and clear, therefore fitting in with the main aim of the school magazine, basic yet exciting.

8. Preliminary exercise: produce a front page and contents page of a school magazine. Front covers must include a photograph of a student in a medium close-up with
appropriately laid out text and use of an image manipulation programme (Photoshop).
Below start to sketch what the front cover of your newsletter will look like.
Priory logo as background
(represents the school)
The headline is bold and
stands out to make it
memorable and eye catching.
Space for main image;
only picture shows it’s
the most important.
Main story line: bold in
capitals to show status.
Memorable slogan/tagline
to represent the school. The
same as the schools slogan
to be consistent.

9. Preliminary exercise: produce a front page and contents page of a school magazine. Front covers must include a photograph of a student in a medium close-up with
appropriately laid out text and use of an image manipulation programme (Photoshop).
Below start to sketch what the contents page of your newsletter will look like.
Plain background to
take no emphasis of the text.
Priory logo to represent
the school and promote
it.
Bold taglines/storylines in
order to make the magazine
clear and interesting.
Memorable slogan/tagline
to represent the school. The
same as the schools slogan
to be consistent.
Space for main image;
only picture shows it’s
the most important.

10. I took a series of mid shot photo’s for my School magazine front cover to see what would fit
best with the aesthetic of my magazine. I decided the white background fitted best, the bottom
pictures with the 2 boys was the image I used. My main story line was the business team for a
competition, and therefore their smart look and enthusiastic expressions reflected this story
well.

11. I adapted the photo slightly in Photoshop, before it had a slightly blue tinge so I warmed the
photo up a bit to take out the blue tones. Also I cropped it slightly as it wasn’t centred.

12. Priory logo as background
(represents the school). Put in
the corner with no next over
so not to overcrowd. The rest
is a white background to not
overcrowd.
The headline is bold and
stands out to make it
memorable and eye catching.
Issue number and term in
the corner to show
consistency in the issues
of the magazine.
Consistent font to show
consistency of the piece
as a whole. Main tagline
has an image with it to
highlight its importance.
Other important words in
a separate colour and
capitals to again highlight
its importance.
A different image/text box to add
something unique to my cover.

13. The ‘contents’ is bold and
stands out to make it
memorable and eye catching.
The headline is bold and
stands out to make it
memorable and eye catching.
Numbers same font and colour
as ‘contents’ to make it look
more professional.
Priory logo to represent
the school and promote
it.
A different image/text box to add
something unique to my cover.
Same as the front cover to show
consistency.
Plain white background and
consistent colour scheme to
show clarity and
professionalism of the
magazine.

15. What have I learnt?
• During this task I have learnt different aspects needed within a magazine; for example Target Audience and their
importance. You have to take things like colour schemes and the languages used when considering the audience.
Also what people would expect to see in magazines, and therefore what is needed to attract people to it. Also I
have learnt how to do certain things in Photoshop, before I didn’t know much and know I can adapt images
colouring, edit different layers, insert text, use filters etc.