October 2025 Business update
Welcome to this October 2025 update.
There are a couple of exam insight events this month as well as a link to a recent report on financial education in schools. A level and IAL Business students might also benefit from the talk on 7 October.
I hope that you are able to enjoy the half-term break when it comes.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 14 October | A level exam insight event |
| 15 October | GCSE exam insight event |
| 17 October | IAL entry deadline (January series) |
| 12 December | Last date to use the Access To Scripts service via Script Viewer. |
A new report on Financial Education
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Financial Education has published a new report.
The report highlights persistent gaps in provision across the UK that need further attention and calls for a Financial Education Youth Guarantee; including financial education at every stage of learning; Financial Education Champions in every school; and a national financial education resource hub.
The report also highlights examples of positive practice and recent developments that could be scaled up, as well as specific recommendations to improve financial education.
You can access the full report, and executive summary, on the APPG’s webpage:
| 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.
| International GCSE Business |
|---|
| Delivery support |
| Assessment support |
Assessment support focuses on assessment news and tools, support in understanding the command verbs, and information about grade boundaries and statistics.
GCSE Business
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.
| GCSE Business | |
|---|---|
| 15 October 16.00-17.00 | Exam insights Summer 2025 (Paper 1) |
| 5 November 16.00-17.00 | Exam insights Summer 2025 (Paper 2) |
| 10 December 16.00-17.00 | Mock Marking Live |
| 14 January 16.00-17.00 | Support with Theme 1 Topics |
| 11 February 16.00-17.00 | Support with Theme 2 Topics |
| 11 March 16.00-17.00 | Tackling 2- and 3-Mark Questions |
| 22 April 16.00-17.00 | Tackling 6-Mark Questions |
The GCSE Business You Tube Channel includes recordings of events from previous years.
There are two Facebook groups, one for each qualification. They are private groups and applicants are checked to confirm that they have an Edexcel Online account.
The GCSE group has over 3,000 members. The International GCSE group is much smaller.
There is also a Pearson Edexcel Facebook page 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.
GCSE Business Summer 2026 timetable
International GCSE Business November 2025 timetable
International GCSE Business Summer 2026 timetable
| A level 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 Business |
|---|
| Delivery support |
| Assessment support |
Assessment support focuses on assessment news and tools, support in understanding the command verbs, and information about grade boundaries and statistics.
Free half hour talk on growth from Ian Marcouse.
- 10 minutes putting the optimists' case;
- 10 minutes on the pessimists;
- 5 minutes of supporting/relevant data and
- 5 minutes on how and when success/failure can be measured.
It won't be a debate, but you might use it to spark debate in your classroom.
Ian plans to frame it in terms of macro-economics, but please see it as accessible to Yr 13 Business students.
Live sessions will take place at 10.00, 11.00 and 13.30, and, a recording will be available from 14.00 on the day.
How to take part
Email marcouse@btopenworld.com and Ian will send you the relevant access requirements.
Please only use this as a class exercise. Zoom allows 100 delegates; if students are accessing individually, that uses up a lot of places.
| A Level Business | |
|---|---|
| 14 October 16.30-17.30 | Exam insights Summer 2025 (Paper 1) |
| 5 November 16.00-17.00 | Exam insights Summer 2025 (Paper 2) |
| 3 December 16.00-17.00 | Exam insights Summer 2025 (Paper 3) |
| 20 January 16.30-17.30 | Support with Theme 1 and 2 Topics |
| 25 February 16.00-17.00 | Support with Theme 3 and 4 Topics |
| 18 March 16.00-17.00 | Understanding the 'Assess' Command Word |
| 29 April 16.00-17.00 | Understanding the 'Evaluate' Command Word |
A level Business
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.
There are two Facebook groups, one for each qualification. They are private groups and applicants are checked to confirm that they have an Edexcel Online account.
The A level group has over 2,000 members. The IAL group is much smaller.
There is also a Pearson Edexcel Facebook page 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.
An A level Business teacher has created aTikTok account for his students which he has shared here.
A level Business: Summer 2026 Timetable
IAL Business October 2025 timetable
Results day will be Thursday 22 January 2026.
IAL Business January 2026 timetable
IAL Business Summer 2026 Timetable
The interim report was published in March with the final report due in the autumn.
Many teachers have been emailing me asking about the future of our GCSE and A level qualifications. We have had no indication as yet that reforms are in the pipeline but the final report of the Review may provide more information.
These monthly updates will keep you informed of any announcements.
This is a recorded session which focuses on best practice when using ResultsPlus, alongside ExamWizard to analyse your students’ examination results, and improve your in-house approach to teaching the topics your students find challenging.
The Professional Development Academy summarises the training that is available to you.
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.
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.
Subject advisor
Colin Leith
Business
