This update provides a range of information to support teachers, including provisional timetables, new resources, course materials and key dates for various BTEC and vocational qualification levels.
BTEC and T Level Art, Design and Media March 2025 update
3 March 2025
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Welcome to the March 2025 update from your Subject Advisor.
BTEC First in Art and Design (2012) Moderation
Please note for Summer 2025, we will not be conducting moderation visits.
Instead, moderation will be conducted remotely with the centre submitting the sample in a digital format. Full details can be found in the updated Administrative Support Guide.
Summer 2026 Provisional Timetables
The Provisional timetables for Summer 2026 are available on our Provisional timetables web page for review.
The feedback window will run until Friday 21 March 2025. Please send any feedback to timetables@pearson.com
Here are some helpful resources and inspiration from creative organisations to emphasise the importance of arts in education and the benefits they bring to young people. Our priority is to create courses that provide students with an authentic creative experience, and we are committed to raising the profile of our subjects in education and beyond.
Calling Teachers of BTEC in Creative Media Practice and T Level in Broadcast Media Production, the Film and TV Educators Network aims to connect and support screen educators across the UK, through networking, sharing best practice and industry-facing events.
Membership of the Network and all events are free and open to all film/media teachers
Book your place today for Screen 4 Schools, thanks to support from Channel 4.
6 sessions delivered virtually over Teams, across 3 weeks (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am - lasting an hour)* starting on the 6th of May 2025.
Places are limited, but Screens 4 Schools will be running the program again in subsequent terms.
These sessions are aimed at pupils Year 5, 6 & 7.
* Sessions are recorded and can be viewed at a time suitable to your curriculum.
TIGA, the trade association representing the UK games industry, has published a comprehensive and practical guide for Students and Graduates looking for a career in games.
At its heart, the Guide provides a full overview of the many and varied career opportunities available in the games industry – from coding and programming to marketing and communications; from design and narrative to business development; from QA and localisation to HR and talent acquisition.
But, importantly, the publication also provides invaluable guidance to students and graduates on how to take their first steps in securing a new career opportunity, including advice and insights on:
- Job Seekers Resources
- Jobs Boards & Recruitment Agencies
- Creating a CV and Portfolio
- Networking & Building Connections
- Interview Preparation
In addition, the Guide covers personal development topics such as Tackling Imposter Syndrome, as well as offering advice to those considering launching their own studios.
At over 80 pages in total, the Guide is an invaluable resource for anyone looking at a career in games.
Do you know a young person who loves art and enjoys writing?
Take part in Write on Art, the national writing programme by Art UK and Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art for young people (14–19 years old).
Young people are invited to write 400–600 words about an artwork of their choice on Art UK’s website for one of three categories:
✍️ Creative writing – an imaginative and expressive response to an artwork
💬 Review – a critical commentary about an artwork or installation
📝 Essay – a critical analysis of an artwork supported by evidence
Twelve successful applicants will be invited to attend a day-long Young Art Writers Workshop at Royal College of Art in September 2025 and have their work published.
Celebrate March with these must-see exhibitions, from historic paintings to contemporary photography.
Did you know that March was once considered to be the start of the year? In the first Roman calendar, there were only 10 months. January and February weren't even included because of the lack of agricultural activity, making them unworthy of being accounted for in the calendar.
Now that we're moving into the sunnier spring season in the Northern Hemisphere, the start of March offers another opportunity for renewal, with brighter skies and longer days on the horizon as the first leaves emerge and flowers begin to bloom.
The Arts and Minds campaign and coalition is calling for all children and young people to have the right to study creative subjects and for arts funding in schools to be fully restored.
Arts and Minds is a coalition of over 20 organisations including the National Education Union, Equity, the Musicians’ Union and NSEAD, which aims to draw attention to the ‘creative gap’ in schools and are calling for the government to put creativity at the heart of learning.
| May/June Series | Art and Design Practice |
|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2025 | Learner Work Transfer (LWT) available for upload of work for Component 2 |
| 15 May 2025 | Deadline to upload learner work for Component 2 external assessment |
| 48 hours prior to moderation visit | Component 1 marks must be submitted 48 hours in advance of the agreed moderation visit |
| 27 June 2025 | Deadline for amending marks following moderator feedback where necessary for internal assessments (optional) |
| 15 Aug 2025 | Restricted release of results to centres |
| 21 Aug 2025 | Release of results to learners |
All of the Tech Awards (2022) key dates can be found in the 2024-2025 key dates schedule.
Please note, due to the terminal assessment rules, Component 2 must be sat during the same assessment series in which certification for the qualification is requested.
| Dec/Jan Series | Creative Media Production |
|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2025 | Restricted release of results to centres |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Release of results to learners |
| 17 Apr 2025 | Deadline for Review of Marking or Moderation for internal and external assessments |
| May/June Series | Creative Media Production |
|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2025 | Learner Work Transfer available for uploading work of learners for internal and external assessments |
| 15 May 2025 | Component 1 and 2 deadline for mark submission and upload of work for sampled learners |
| 15 May 2025 | Component 3 deadline to upload learner work for external assessment |
| 16 June 2025 | All initial moderator reports for should have been received (if 15 May deadline met) |
| 27 June 2025 | Deadline for amending marks following moderator feedback where necessary for internal assessments (optional) |
| 15 Aug 2025 | Restricted release of results to centres |
| 21 Aug 2025 | Release of results to learners |
All of the Tech Awards (2022) key dates can be found in the 2024-2025 key dates schedule.
Please note, due to the terminal assessment rules, Component 3 must be sat during the same assessment series in which certification for the qualification is requested.
This month sees the release of results to those learners who sat assessments in January. For important information and resources to help you access and understand your results, please see the March 2025 Tech Awards update.
You can access Pearson-Set Assignments (PSAs) for the May/June assessments on each subject’s page.
Remember, the PSA for Art and Design released on 2 September are for use within the May/June window.
The externally assessed component tasks are available to download from the BTEC Tech Award Secure Tests page.
Please note, these are gold padlock secure materials which can only be accessed by Exams Officers and were available from 13 January 2025.
We offer a range of training events to help you plan, deliver and administer BTEC Tech Award qualifications.
Whether you’re new to teaching or familiar with your sector, we have the training that suits your needs.
We have published new exemplar standardisation materials (ESMs) for the internal components. We add new ESMs after every assessment series to give you additional fresh examples based on the most recent Pearson Set Assignments. Be sure to review them to support you in your marking.
Art and Design Practice Exemplar Gallery
This exemplar gallery has been created to make accessing our exemplar materials more effective and straightforward.
The gallery contains exemplar materials for component BAD01 organised by mark band. A thumbnail is provided for each exemplar as a visual reference point, accompanied by details of the mark and title.
We have published new sample marked learner work (SMLW) for the external components. We add new SMLW after every assessment series to give you additional fresh examples based on the most recent Externally Assessed tasks. Be sure to review them to support your planning and delivery.
Check out the latest updates on Tech Awards (2022) and sign up for future updates.
Dates for the external assessments can be found in the Pearson exam timetables for the relevant assessment series. Also, key dates and guidance for Quality Assurance activities can be found the quality support page.
You can join our live, updated BTEC Briefing Sessions for Art and Design and Creative Media.
These sessions will focus on supporting you to continue to teach with confidence and we will provide an update on current Government reviews. There will also be the opportunity for you to ask questions and hear from other centres.
You can also watch recordings of our previous sessions. These sessions took place in January 2025 and focus on the impact of Government reforms on post 16 qualifications and funding. Pearson provided our latest updates and provided an opportunity for centres to ask questions. The information contained with this session is for centres in England only.
If you are still struggling to understand what the outcomes of the review mean for you, your learner and the qualifications you offer, we have developed an interactive quick guide to support you.
Our Level 2 Skills qualifications in Art and Design Skills and Creative Media Skills have been extended in England and Northern Ireland.
The last registration date is now 31 July 2027. The last certification date is 31 July 2029.
For internally assessed units, check out our BTEC quality assurance pages for key dates, centre guides, support, and training.
LIVE events online
Visit our Quality Assurance page to register for these free events:
- BTEC Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Internal Verifier (45 minutes)
- Roles and Responsibilities of a Quality Nominee (1 hour)
On-Demand CPD
Also available on the Quality Assurance page, each pack will include a YouTube video that will provide an overview along with supporting activities and answer sheets.
Assessment:
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Assessor
- Good Practice Producing Assessment Plans
- Marking, Assessment Records and Feedback
- Understanding and Managing Plagiarism
- BTEC Resubmission and Retake Rules
Internal Verification:
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Internal Verifier
- Planning for Internal Verification - BTEC
- Effective Internal Verification
Visit the BTEC quality assurance page for live and on demand training
Quality Assurance templates
Access free BTEC assessment and internal verification templates used to support production of the key quality assurance documentation. You can create your own versions although must include the same content shown within our templates.
View our BTEC forms and guides
Quality Assurance catch-ups
These online drop-in sessions with your Vocational Quality Assurance Manager are designed to discuss current Quality Assurance activities and answer related questions.
The BTEC International Quality Assurance centre guides are for everyone involved in delivery, assessment and verification of BTEC qualifications and gives full details of our quality assurance processes for the academic year.
Discover how Pearson's new BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Photography for England is transforming the development of aspiring photographers by focusing not just on skills, but on fostering creativity and critical thinking.
The aim of the 2023 BTEC Higher Nationals qualifications for Art, Design and Media is to give you more flexibility and scope when designing your curriculum so we hope you enjoy our new titles.
The documents to help support the delivery of the BTEC Higher National qualifications are located on HN Global.
First, click on this link to log into your HN Global account:
Second, click on this link to access the Art, Design and Media (2023) delivery materials:
With our quality assurance process for all BTEC higher-level programmes we can be sure our centres are meeting national standards.
Our enhanced quality assurance (QA) processes are in place for all Pearson BTEC Higher National qualifications. The enhanced processes embed specific higher education expectations alongside Pearson’s QA expectations for its other BTEC qualifications. This enables us to work with approved centres to ensure that our qualifications are delivered to the required, UK Higher Education, national standards.
Look out in the coming week for updated key dates schedules, which have been adjusted to provide more time in the assessment windows for most Occupational Specialisms. This will improve manageability, scheduling and provide contingency time in the assessments.
The approval window is now open for providers commencing delivery in September 2025. You must gain approval for each Technical Qualification you wish to deliver.
Entries for Core Component assessments are open. You must make an entry for every student wishing to enter the assessment.
We have made several minor updates to the specifications for both Craft and Design and Media, Broadcast and Production. The updates have not impacted the content or structure of assessments and are mainly limited to summary information tables where greater clarity was required.
For the full details, please review the summary of changes table at the front of each specification.
Overview of common updates:
- Updated lists of job roles that the T Level could lead to
- Component weightings added to qualification summary
Media, Broadcast, and Production specific specification updates:
- Events and Venues Technician resource list updated
- Spelling error within CPK3.6 corrected
Craft and Design specification updates have targeted the schemes of assessment for the Occupational Specialisms (OS):
- Assessment tasks have been renumbered
- Assessment timings references made consistent
- Performance outcome (PO) tables updated to include absent PO
- Resource lists updated for each OS
Check out the latest updates on T Levels and sign up for future updates.
A group for teachers of BTEC level 1 introductory, Entry Level and BTEC Workskills and BTEC personal growth and wellbeing to share best practice and to seek information about the courses on offer.
The reform of Level 1 and below, which was initially set to take place in 2027, has been put on hold due to the Curriculum Assessment Review (CAR) conducted by the Labour Government.
The future plans for these reforms and the expected timeline are currently uncertain. However, it is important to note that you can continue teaching your existing BTEC Level 1 and below courses confidently until at least 2027.
Check out the latest newsletter for BTEC Level 1 and below and sign up for future updates.
Thank you!
I hope you found this update useful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me and the team using the contact details below.
You can also sign up to get these Art, Design & Media updates straight to your inbox every month.
Subject advisor
Jaclyn Wiid
Art, Design and Media
Phone :
+44 (0) 344 463 2535
(Teaching Services team | Mon - Fri, 8am - 5pm GMT )
