Latest update for A level and GCSE Business teachers | Pearson qualifications

February 2025 Business update

Fri Jan 31 14:45:00 UTC 2025

Welcome to this February 2025 update.

Both the GCSE and A level network events are looking at higher tariff questions this month and these are clearly skills which you want to reinforce as we get closer to the summer exams.  The January A level event was postponed to 10 February.

Please do remember to give your Exams Officer your entries for this summer in plenty of time before the 21 February deadline.

I would also invite you to complete the survey (first tab under 'Other information') asking for your feedback about these monthly updates so that we can try and ensure that the updates are useful to you and contain the information you want.

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Key dates

Date Activity
21 February Entry deadline for May/June exams for UK centres
6 March Results day for January series (IAL)
21 March Entry deadline for May/June exams for International qualifications
14 August A level results day
21 August GCSE results day

Our UK qualifications

GCSE Lion

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Delivery support focuses on free support materials, networking and both free and paid-for resources.  There are links to Pearson, Hodder and other publishers.

AL Bus

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Assessment support focuses on assessment news and tools, support in understanding the command verbs, and information about grade boundaries and statistics.

After each event, a zipped file is uploaded to the qualification page.  The zipped file includes the materials used in the event and a link to the recording.

The GCSE Business You Tube Channel includes recordings of events from previous years.


After each event, a zipped file is uploaded to the qualification page.  The zipped file includes the materials used in the event and a link to the recording.

The A level Business You Tube Channel includes recordings of events from previous years.

GCSE Case studies from the FT

  Case study Theme 1 Theme 2
43 Greggs 1.1.1 The dynamic nature of business
1.2.1 Customer needs
1.2.4 The competitive environment
1.3.1 Business aims and objectives
1.4.3 The marketing mix
2.1.1 Business growth
2.2.1 Product
2.2.3 Promotion
2.2.5 Using the marketing mix to make business decisions
2.4.2 Understanding business performance
44 Milk 1.1.1 The dynamic nature of business
1.2.1 Customer needs
1.2.3 Market segmentation
1.2.4 The competitive environment
2.2.1 Product
2.2.5 Using the marketing mix to make business decisions

The FT case studies are appropriate for both GCSE and International GCSE.  The mapping in the table (and in the case studies themselves) is to the GCSE specification.

International GCSE Business teachers may find it useful to observe that GCSE Theme 1 looks at small businesses (the focus of Paper 1 on the International GCSE), and that GCSE Theme 2 looks at larger businesses (the focus of Paper 2 on the International GCSE).

The new case studies this year start with 43 and 44.  These can be found alongside the case studies from the last two years.


A level case studies from recent news stories

  Case study Theme 1 Theme 2 Theme 3 Theme 4
41 Chinese manufacturing   2.1.4 3.1.3  
42 IKEA 1.1.2 2.5.3    
43 Aldi (1) 1.5.3 2.2.2    
44 Aldi (2) 1.1.1 2.3.1    
45 Hilton 1.1.2
1.1.3
1.2.4 
 

3.2.3

3.6.1

 
46 Ray-Ban Meta glasses 1.1.2 
1.3.1 
1.3.3 
1.3.4 
     
47 Junk food 1.3.2  2.5.2    
48 Vodafone-Three merger   2.5.2 3.2.2  

The mapping in these case studies is for A level Business but IAL Business teachers might be interested to know that the four 'themes' in the A level Business specification correspond very closely to the four units in the IAL Business specification.  The command verbs used in the questions are from A level Business so these will need adapting for IAL Business.

As well as the FT case studies available on the qualification page there are also case studies and activities from recent FT articles available in the dropbox folder.

GCSE Business

The GCSE Business Facebook group has over 3,000 members.  It is a private group (for teachers only) and when you apply to join your name will be checked to confirm that you have an Edexcel Online account.

Teachers use this group to ask questions, share resources and exchange ideas.


A level Business

The A level Business Facebook group has over 2,000 members.  It is a private group (for teachers only) and when you apply to join your name will be checked to confirm that you have an Edexcel Online account.

Teachers use this group to ask questions, share resources and exchange ideas.

An A level Business teacher has created aTikTok account for his students which he has shared here.

GCSE Business

GCSE Bus 2025 TT

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A level Business

AL Bus May 2025 TT

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The June 2025 pre-release material for Paper 3 is now available to download.

Summer 2026 Provisional Timetables 

The Provisional timetables for Summer 2026 will be available on our Provisional timetables web page from Monday 3rd February.

The feedback window will run until Friday 21st March. Please send any feedback to timetables@pearson.com.

Go to the provisional timetables


Our International qualifications

IG Bus

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International GCSE Business
Delivery support
Assessment support

Delivery support focuses on free support materials, networking and both free and paid-for resources.  There are links to Pearson, Hodder and other publishers.

ial bus

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Assessment support focuses on assessment news and tools, support in understanding the command verbs, and information about grade boundaries and statistics.


The Outstanding Pearson Learner Awards (OPLAs) recognise and celebrate the highest achieving learners at International GCSE and International A level.

The Professional Development for International qualifications page summarises the training that is available to you.

International GCSE Business

This small Facebook group has just over 40 members.  Why not join and network with colleagues teaching this qualification?


IAL Business

This new Facebook group has just been launched.  Why not join and network with colleagues teaching this qualification?

International GCSE Business

May 2025 timetable

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November 2025 

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IAL Business

January 2025 exam series - timetable

IAL Bus Jan 2025 TT

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May/June 2025 timetable

IAL Bus May 2025 TT

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October 2025 timetable

IAL Bus May 2025 TT

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January 2026 timetable

IAL Bus January 2026 prov TT

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Summer 2026 Provisional Timetables 

The Provisional timetables for Summer 2026 will be available on our Provisional timetables web page from Monday 3rd February.

The feedback window will run until Friday 21st March. Please send any feedback to timetables@pearson.com.

Go to the provisional timetables

Other information

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Secondary schools around the world can get free online access to the Financial Times, with articles, games and multi-media content on many topics to enrich studies and improve exam performance in business, economics, politics, geography, psychology and other topics.

The FT can help strengthen global and media literacy, and offer insights into preparation for further study and the world of work. It also has competitions, an online work experience programme and teacher selected articles with suggested questions, alongside resources developed by Pearson/Edexcel.

Details at www.ft.com/schools . A staff member can check if their school is already registered and to create student or staff accounts at www.ft.com/schoolsarefree


The Pearson Edexcel Facebook page is designed to help and support you with the teaching and delivery of our UK qualifications. You can find the latest news, updates and information about our support services across subjects. From our own news to updates from Ofqual and JCQ, follow us on @PearsonEdexcel on Facebook to stay up to date.

Multi factor authentication was rolled out to nearly a quarter of a million Pearson Portal users last year. Although it has now become a standard way of accessing our systems, it can sometimes present challenges if a smart device is lost or replaced.

You can read more information, see a quick start guide and access FAQs and troubleshooting for our authenticator app in our Pearson Portal Authenticator support article.

Based on feedback received this graphic was created to answer some common questions.

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You can read more information, see a quick start guide and access FAQs and troubleshooting for our authenticator app in our Pearson Portal Authenticator support article.

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We’ll be updating it regularly so you know you’ve got all the latest announcements, news, support materials and updates to enable you to teach our qualifications, help your students with their assessments and post-results support, to enable them to progress.

If you teach any of our Economics or BTEC qualifications, you may wish to check out the monthly updates.

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