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October 2025 Art update
Wed Oct 01 13:57:00 UTC 2025
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Welcome to the October 2025 update from your Subject Advisor
Help shape the future of qualifications.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on how you choose between General Qualifications (such as GCSE and A Level) and Vocational Qualifications (such as BTEC)—especially for subjects with lots of coursework.
Your insights will help us build a curriculum that truly supports students’ learning journeys and career goals.
Tell us what matters to you by the end of October. Your feedback will guide decisions for upcoming school years.
Do you teach GCSE, International GCSE or A level Art and Design?
Then this group was made for you. It’s a friendly, professional space where you can share ideas, swap tips, and ask those everyday teaching questions.
Whether you're after inspiration or support, this is a great place to collaborate with others and get the latest news.
| Date | GCSE and A Level Art and Design |
|---|---|
| 2 January 2026 | Release of the GCSE Component 2 externally set assignment (ESA) |
| 1 February 2026 | Release of the A Level Component 2 externally set assignment (ESA) |
| 21 February 2026 | Deadline for entries - late entry fees after this date (international centre entry deadline is 21 March) |
| 15 May 2026 | Start of moderator visits |
| 48 hours prior to moderation visit |
Marks submitted on Edexcel Online for visiting moderation |
| 31 May 2026 | International centres only: Marks submitted on Edexcel Online for digital moderation Sampled work submitted on Learner Work Transfer |
| 26 June 2026 | End of moderator visits |
| 13 August 2026 | A Level Results day |
| 20 August 2026 | GCSE Results day |
What can we learn from the May/June 2025 assessment series?
Join a focused session on 21 October (GCSE) and 23 October (A Level) packed with practical insights from the 2025 series.
You’ll:
- Review performance trends from the May/June 2025 series
- Explore key observations from examiner reports
- Analyse annotated student work
- Discover teaching strategies to support progress
This is a great opportunity to reflect, refine, and get ready for a successful year ahead.
Check out our free face-to-face coursework marking training for GCSE and A Level Art and Design.
This year, based on your feedback, we’ve extended the training to a full-day event. That means more time to:
- Explore real student portfolios from the latest exam series
- Mark Component 1 and Component 2 work across a range of titles and levels
- Get expert guidance from senior moderators
- Ask questions, share ideas and connect with colleagues from other centres
Whether you're new to marking or looking to refine your approach, this is a brilliant opportunity to build confidence and share best practice.
Check out our free online training for GCSE and A Level Art and Design.
Choose from:
- Live virtual sessions with our subject experts
- On-demand recorded courses you can access anytime
For help with assessment objectives and teaching ideas, check out our bitesize video playlists.
Looking for fresh ways to bring sustainability into your Art & Design classroom?
We’ve just launched Green Skills in GCSE Art and Design – a practical guide packed with ideas to help learners explore eco-conscious creativity.
From material choices to mindful making, this resource connects green thinking with artistic practice in ways that feel relevant, inspiring and doable.
Interested in the future of GCSE Art and Design? We want to hear from you!
Pearson Edexcel is inviting Art and Design teachers to share their aspirations for the future of the GCSE qualification. It’s a quick survey—and it’s not just for you.
You'll also be asked to pass on a student version so we can hear directly from young artists themselves. What matters most to them? What do they want from their GCSE experience?
| Date | International GCSE Art and Design |
|---|---|
| 2 January 2026 | Online release of the Component 2 externally set assignment (ESA) |
| 21 March 2026 | Deadline for entries - late entry fees after this date |
| 31 May 2026 | All work submitted digitally on Learner Work Transfer for external assessment |
| 20 August 2026 | International GCSE Results day |
What can we learn from the May/June 2025 exam series?
Join a focused session on 19 November packed with practical insights from the 2025 series.
You’ll:
- Review performance trends from the May/June 2025 series
- Explore key observations from examiner reports
- Analyse annotated student work
- Discover teaching strategies to support progress
This is a great opportunity to reflect, refine, and get ready for a successful year ahead.
Check out our free online training for International GCSE Art and Design.
Choose from:
- Live virtual sessions with our subject experts
- On-demand recorded courses you can access anytime
For help with assessment objectives and teaching ideas, check out our bitesize video playlist.
Do you teach International GCSE Art and Design online?
We’ve just released fresh guidance to support online teaching, plus new training opportunities to help you feel confident and connected.
Take a look at what’s available in our latest announcement.
| Date | A Level History of Art |
|---|---|
| 21 February 2026 | Deadline for entries - late entry fees after this date |
| 18 May 2026 | Paper 1: Visual analysis and themes (PM) |
| 2 June 2026 | Paper 2: Periods (AM) |
| 13 August 2026 | A Level Results day |
Need help with visual analysis for Paper 1?
Watch our recorded training from last year – full of practical tips to support your delivery.
This month we spotlight a new weekly art quiz!
Art UK have joined forces with the University of St Andrews School of Art History to launch a brilliant new weekly art quiz – perfect for teachers, students, and anyone who loves a creative challenge.
Follow Art UK on your favourite social media platforms and keep an eye out every Friday for a fresh quiz to test your art knowledge.
Ready to dive in? Here’s the first quiz to get you started:
If you’ve got something that’s working well in your classroom for future spotlights, we’d love to hear from you – drop us a line at TeachingArtandDesign@Pearson.com.
BTEC Tech Awards
| May/June Series | BTEC Tech Award Art and Design Practice |
|---|---|
| 1 September 2025 | Release of Component 1 Pearson-set Assignment (PSA) |
| 1 November 2025 | Deadline for registrations - late registration fees after this date |
| 12 January 2026 | Release of Component 2 externally assessed task |
| 21 February 2026 | Deadline for Component 1 and 2 entries - late entry fees after this date |
| 13 April 2026 | Learner Work Transfer (LWT) available |
| 15 May 2026 | Deadline to upload Component 2 work on LWT for external assessment |
| 48 hours prior to moderation visit | Deadline to submit Component 1 marks on Edexcel Online for visiting moderation |
| 26 June 2022 | Deadline for amending marks following moderator feedback where necessary for internal assessments (optional) |
| 14 August 2026 | Restricted release of results to centres |
| 20 August 2026 | Release of results to learners |
BTEC L3 Nationals and L2 SKills
| May/June Series | BTEC L3 Nationals and L2 Skills |
|---|---|
| 17 October 2025 | Deadline for January 2026 entries of Units 2 and 6 for BTEC L3 Nationals in Art and Design (2016) - late entry fees after this date |
| 1 November 2025 | Deadline for registrations - late registration fees after this date |
| 20 March 2026 | Deadline for June 2026 entries of Units 1, 2, 6, and 7 for BTEC L3 Nationals in Art and Design (2016) - late entry fees after this date |
| 15 May 2026 | Deadline for Standards Verification sampling |
| 15 June 2026 | Deadline for Standards Verification additional sampling (if applicable) |
| 5 July 2026 | Deadline to submit results for certification on August results days |
| 5 August 2026 | Restricted release of results to centres |
| 13 August 2026 | Release of results to learners |
BTEC International
| May/June Series | BTEC International |
|---|---|
| within 60 days of enrolment at the centre | Deadline for registrations - late registration fees after this date |
| June 2025 | Release of Pearson-set Assignments (PSA) - valid for 1 year after publish date |
| 5 July 2026 | Deadline to submit results for certification on August results days (ie. for learners applying to HEIs via UCAS) |
| Immediately after completion | Deadline to submit results for certification for non-UK-academic year programmes |
BTEC Higher Nationals
| May/June Series | BTEC Higher Nationals |
|---|---|
| 15 November 2025 | Deadline for registrations |
| November 2025 | Allocation of External Examiner (EE) |
| November 2025 - February 2026 |
Contact made with your EE |
| November 2025 - March 2026 |
Two assignment briefs sent to your EE for review |
| May - July 2026 | External Examination sampling - completed by 30 July |
| August 2026 | Students receive qualification |
BTEC Tech Awards
- Marking and moderation for Internally Assessed Components - 20 October
BTEC L1-3 Quality Assurance
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Internal Verifier (UK centres) - 7 October
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Quality Nominee (UK centres) - 9 October
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Quality Nominee (UK centres) - 10 November
- Getting Assessment Right: Assessing BTEC Level 1 Intro qualifications effectively in your classroom - 12 November
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Internal Verifier (UK centres) - 24 November
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Quality Nominee (UK centres) - 9 December
BTEC International
- Creative ways of generating assessment evidence - 28 October
- Introduction to Teaching the International BTEC Level 2 in Art and Design - 3 November
- Internal Verification and preparing for the EE for BTEC International Level 2 and 3 qualifications - 10 November
- Grading Standardisation Workshop for BTEC International Level 2 and 3 Art and Design - 13 January
BTEC Higher Nationals
- Holistic Assessment planning and assignment writing RQF BTEC Higher Nationals - 7 October
- Intro to Teaching and Assessing for the new (2023) Creative Media and Art and Design Suite (International Centres) - 22 October
- An Introduction to the principles of Quality Assurance RQF BTEC Higher Nationals (International Centres) - 18 November
- An Introduction to the principles of Quality Assurance RQF BTEC Higher Nationals (UK Centres) - 25 November
Stay up to date with the latest news for BTEC qualifications.
Find out more about the future of post-16 Level 2 qualifications.
If you offer post-16 Level 2 study programmes at your centre, you might be interested in Pearson’s Level 2 BTEC qualifications.
Join our webinar on 14 October, where we’ll walk you through the current BTEC portfolio and the potential changes as post-16 qualification reforms continue.
Your updated BTEC Tech Award Art & Design Exemplar Gallery is now live.
You can now access the new and improved BTEC Tech Award Art & Design Practice exemplar gallery.
Explore more learner examples, with easier navigation and clearer mark ranges. Which in time we will continue to grow.
Share your feedback
We understand that the right resources can make a real difference, and we’d like to know what would help you most in the future.
Please take a few minutes to complete our survey and tell us what you’d find most useful in supporting your teaching and students’ learning.
A new opportunity is opening up for teachers and curriculum leads delivering T Levels. Gatsby’s Technical Education Networks (TEN) programme is expanding — and in partnership with the Association of Colleges (AoC), it’s launching route-specific Communities of Practice for specialist T Level teachers across the country.
These new groups will connect educators teaching the same T Level routes, offering a space to share ideas, collaborate on resources, and shape the future of technical education.
Members of the Communities of Practice will:
- Exchange insights with peers and sector specialists
- Attend an in-person subject event focused on innovative teaching and assessment
- Co-develop resources tailored to their specialist area
- Share and refine exam techniques to improve learner outcomes
- Receive the latest updates on T Level policy and assessment
- Influence the direction of the community and ensure their voice is heard nationally
Each Community of Practice will meet four times a year — three times online and once at a national in-person exchange event. Task and finish groups will also be formed to develop practical tools and resources, with input from teachers, employers, awarding bodies and professional organisations.
This initiative is part of Gatsby’s TEN programme, which supports teachers in delivering an enriched curriculum by bridging the gap between industry and the classroom.
View our recorded training to support your planning and delivery.
COMING SOON:
Occupational Specialism training
Check out the latest updates on T Levels and sign up for future updates.
October marks Black History Month – a celebration of Black culture, creativity and impact in Britain.
This year’s theme, Standing Firm in Power and Pride, highlights the strength and leadership that have driven change and shaped society. Art Fund have spotlighted powerful exhibitions exploring identity, history and culture – all by leading contemporary artists.
Create art outdoors. National Galleries Scotland have developed 10 simple outdoor challenges inspired by their exhibition Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years.
Designed for any age and any outdoor space, these activities help learners connect with nature, think critically, and stay active—while making art outside.
14 October 2025
Join AccessArt for a discussion with Adam Vincent, Ofsted’s subject lead for Art and Design and principal writer of Ofsted’s Art and Design Research Review and Subject Report. In this session, Adam will be sharing what has been learned from recent inspections in art and design, drawing on both the Research Review and Subject Report, and considering what contributes to a high-quality art curriculum.
20 October 2025
Discover the power of expressive arts education in a free online session hosted by AccessArt in collaboration with the Cultural Learning Alliance.
Join Sally Bacon OBE and Jacqui O’Hanlon MBE as they introduce the CLA Arts Capability Framework—a powerful tool to help schools articulate the value of arts education through seven key pillars: Agency, Wellbeing, Communication, Empathy, Collaboration, Creativity, and Interpretation.
13 September - 1 November 2025
The Northern Festival of Illustration 2025 is back in Hartlepool with a vibrant programme celebrating global creativity. Hosted by The Northern School of Art, the festival features exhibitions, talks, and workshops from internationally renowned illustrators and emerging talent.
Thank you!
I hope you found this update useful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch using the contact details below.
You can also sign up to get these Subject Advisor updates straight to your inbox every month.
Subject advisor
Jaclyn Wiid
Art & Design and History of Art
Email :
Phone :
+44 (0) 344 463 2535
(Teaching Services team | Mon - Fri, 8am - 5pm GMT )
