School Magazine

2. To start this project I have been asked to create the
front and contents pages of a school magazine. I
intend to use the school’s colour of red, along with
black and white, to create a simple and modern
looking magazine. I plan to have a very consistent
design as this tends to make a magazine look more
professional. To make my magazine look more
authentic I will research other school magazines to
see what is commonly present, and I will also
conduct some audience research to find out what
readers expect/want to see.

3. Includes a competition to
encourage students and
parents to buy it, and also
to get involved with the
school/its magazine.
No cost to purchase the
magazine, makes it more
accessible to students and adults.
Consistent colour scheme
ties in to the school,
makes the magazine look
more professional and
also keeps it all in keeping
Simple modern colour scheme (black, white
and the school’s purple) keeps the overall
presentation from looking tacky or cheap.
Masthead, the most
ornate thing on there due
to font choice, draws eye
and makes immediately
apparent the name of the
publication
Directly addressing the
audience, makes them
more likely to read the
magazine, and also shows
that the writers want the
readers to get involved
and respond.
School logo in the corner
adds more reference to
the school itself, but in a
subtle way so that it still
looks professional.
The figures are very smartly
dressed which gives the
impression of a well established
school with happy, polite students
who follow the rules. This is
further emphasised by their
postures and facial expressions.
This is the secondary story,
emphasised by a slightly larger
font and underlining.
The main focus of this
magazine cover is the central
image. The figures are making
eye contact with the camera
and they are facing forward
so the audience feels
addressed. The fact that it is
not too word heavy makes it
more appealing to students
rather than parents, but only
subtly.
Text Analysis

4. Bright primary colours
used, implies that the
school concerned is a
primary school.
An issue date has been included
to allow the parents to keep up
to date with the issues that have
been published.
Very few pictures have been
used, only of the principle to
relate to the direct address in
the text. The fact that it is very
word heavy implies that it is
more aimed the parents.
The contents are clear
and easy to read, and
help the reader navigate
the newsletter. The text
colour is very simple
because it is not intended
to be the main feature of
the newsletter
Some helpful websites for the
students to practice reading,
science and mathematics. This
shows that the target
audience is the students as
well as the parents, because
they are aiming to help with
home study
The school name is the
head banner, in clear font
to make it easy to read.
Key upcoming dates and events,
which helps inform the parents
as to what is happening in the
school. It has been highlighted
with a coloured text box to draw
attention and emphasise, as well
as separating it from the rest of
the text.
Reminders about RSVPs for
parents to join their kids at a
Christmas lunch show that the
target audience is, partly,
parents. The children would
not really be concerned with
reply slips and dates for the
diary, so we can see that the
writers are trying to aim
towards the parents.

5. Audience Research
What do you expect to see in a school magazine? Number
Event information 10
Bulletins 1
A level/GCSE advice 2
Photos 4
News 1
Logo 1
Address from Head teacher 2
Exam results 3
Achievements of students outside school 1
Where to go for more information 1
Local events in the community 1
Interesting things that have happened/will happen 2

6. How often do you think a school magazine to issued? Number
Weekly 5
Fortnightly 1
Monthly 6
Termly 3

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.
My target audience is school children between the ages of 11 and 18 (Year 7 to Year 13). I will try to include information that is
relevant to them, rather than information that would be better seen by parents (e.g.)‘dates for the diary’).
Possible title ideas:
(masthead / title block)
What is your magazine going to be called?
Priory Post, Priory Oracle, Priory Press
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”
Two students in an art classroom, drawing/painting and editing/taking pictures. This will link with the headline story – and
therefore be relevant – and it will have students from the school which will make it more interesting to those who are buying
the magazine.
Main cover line:
What will be the main story?
Back to the drawing board with fund allocation, what do you think on the issue of Arts Funding? – this gets the reader
interested and encourages them to get involved.
Additional key images:
What other images will be on your front cover?
Remember, it is a school magazine.
N/A
Additional cover lines:
Other features, stories or selling points which will be
inside the magazine, these need to be audience
appropriate.
I will include a splash that will detail another story
Typography:
(style, size, colour of copy)
Think about the writing and the style of the writing on
your front page.
Simple, modern font. Black red and white, mostly monochrome with red accents
Background colour/image:
What will be in the background, remember you don’t
want to take the focus away from the main image.
Technical considerations:
(equipment, setting, props, costume, lighting)
Be realistic and creative, think about what you have
access to and how you could use it.

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 program
me (Photoshop).
Below start to sketch what the front cover of your newsletter will look like.
TEXT – black thin text, but the
Ps are red with the Bevelled
and Embossed effect, to make
them stand out from the rest of
the text. Also in a much larger
font size
ISSUE DATE – to keep them in
order and so people can make
sure they are reading the
relevant issue, black text on a
red box
UNDERLINE – a thick red bar
to act us an underline, to
separate from the rest of
the page and also to tie
together the colour scheme
MAIN STORY – black text on a
similar bar as above, maybe
translucent, funny headline
accompanies the picture but
gives more information, joke is
in capital letters and separated
to prevent it being solid text.
SPLASH – to give information
about the other stories in the
newsletter, black text on a red
box, maybe slightly translucent.
MAIN IMAGE – two
students in an art
classroom, one drawing and
one editing on a laptop,
angle is as if you are sitting
next to them at the table,
shows everyday school life
and is relevant to the
headline
LOGO – to bring in the
colour scheme, make it look
more professional

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.
NEWSLETTER LOGO –
simply and quickly gets
across the theme, same
font as on the cover,
interlinked
CONTENTS HEADING –
underlined with the typical
bar, stays in keeping with
the rest of the magazine
HEADTEACHER – a generic
picture of the head teacher
to stop it being too text
heavy, the word in a bolder
red font than main text to
emphasise and separate,
the text is just a general
address, in simple black font
REMINDERS – the title will
be the same as the page
numbers to stay in keeping
with the design, the bar will
be red with the Bevel and
Emboss effects to add
texture, the text will be
black and each ‘reminder’
will be separated by a big
dot, also black
PAGE INFORMATION – I
want to have the P in red
with the Bevel and Emboss
effects, the rest will be just
in regular red text, the
information about the story
will be in plain black text,

10. I wanted a picture that
was relevant to the main
story, so something to do
with the Art Department. I
chose to have two
students in an Art
classroom, one drawing
and one editing on a
computer.
I chose this one because the lighting was better,
and this mean that I wouldn’t have to edit too
much in Photoshop. As well as this, it is easier
to see what they’re doing in this one, so I
thought it would be the more effective cover
photo.
Cover Photo Options

11. I cropped out the things on the table
and the person in the background on
the right as it made it look quite
messy and doing this improved the
framing. I also chose to crop out the
pencil case at the bottom because,
again, it was unnecessary and messy.
I didn’t want to add any effects
because I wanted it to look like a
realistic representation of student
life.
Cover Photo Editing

12. TITLE – the size of the Ps is very Front Page
effective because it emphasises the
title. I also like the combination of
the red and black letters, because
the black picks out the shadow on
the Ps due to the result of the
effects I added. The underline
separates it from the main body of
the text, which is a good thing
because the title should be visible.
SCHOOL LOGO – the logo fits in well
with the rest of the magazine. This is
because I used the Eyedropper Tool
to pick out the red colour, and then
used that throughout the magazine.
ISSUE DATE – I chose to move the
issue date down to this corner
because the top was too cluttered if
I place it there, and it fit quite
neatly underneath the logo. I chose
not to add effects to the bar
because it is not a very important
piece of information, so did not
need emphasis.
MAIN STORY – I used a bar
similar in colour and texture as
the title underline for the main
story to ensure continuity
throughout the magazine, and
also a professional look. I made
the headline slightly larger and
in capitals to separate it from
the information below. I thought
black test would be best, as it
would be legible.
MAIN PHOTO – I chose this photo
because it showed the subject
clearly. I chose to crop it slightly so
that the proportions were better,
and the subjects took p more of
the frame. I didn't edit it much
because I wanted it to be relatively
simple. I added thinning lines
around the edge to add interest
and to make it look more
integrated into the magazine as a
whole.
SECONDARY STORY – I chose to
use a very simple red box in
which to place the secondary
story, with no editing, as it is
not as important as the main
story. I chose to use similar
typography as used in the main
story, to keep continuity.

13. Contents Page MAGAZINE LOGO – I am very happy
with the way the logo turned out. I
wanted it to look as if the two Ps were
interlinked. To do this I copied and
pasted the letters from the cover. I
made the second one regular (instead
of bold) . I then erased the relevant bit
of the lower P. This created the illusion
the they were linked, with shadowing.
CONTENTS HEADING – I used very
simple text for the contents heading
because it is emphasised by the
underline. This bar is the same as the
others used throughout the magazine.
REMINDERS – I used smaller text for
the heading of this section, as it is the
least important thing on the page and
the red below it draws the eye
enough. I think the dividing dots make
it look very professional, and the bar
provides good structure to the page.
HEADTEACHER ADDRESS – I used a
medium shot and I put the picture on
an ‘elevated’ section to emphasise it,
as it is the only picture. I used the
typical text/font combination. I tried
to keep it all in the corner of the page,
as it is meant to be quite small and
inconspicuous. The text is quite brief,
but encourages students.
PAGE INFORMATION – this section
comprises of the page number that
the specific story is located on, and
then a little description about the
story. I used the same font with this
part as I did throughout the magazine.
I think this section makes the overall
page look a bit text heavy, it would
have been effective to include some
pictures based on the stories, to break
up the solid text and add interest,

14. What I’ve Learnt
Through making this magazine have learnt how
to conduct audience research, and then
incorporate my findings into a product. I have
become more familiar with Adobe Photoshop,
and how to use it to create an authentic
school magazine. I was already relatively
familiar with it as a program, but doing this
task helped me better understand the tools
that would help me make a magazine
specifically.