September 2026 monthly update for Early Years and Child Development
Welcome to the first update for the new academic year. I hope you managed to get a break and are now ready for the new year.
There is a lot going on this year and this update has reminders about the reforms and the new V Level for September 2027.
If you're a centre with a concern about a student's results, you can use our post-results services. Find out more below about the services available. The information on this page should be used along with guidance from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).
Whether you're reviewing your curriculum, planning future delivery or supporting learner progression, it's important to understand what is changing, when it is happening and what it means for your organisation.To stay informed on the latest post-16 vocational reforms including the introduction of V Levels, Foundation Certificates, Occupational Certificates, BTEC funding and guidance, visit our V Levels and post-16 vocational qualifications page.
There will be changes to Early Years qualifications from September 2027.
Read more about what's changing
Sign up for one of our live sector-specific webinars to get the latest details about how and when post-16 vocational reforms will affect your subject area. You'll be updated on funding of current qualifications, regulatory requirements that will govern new content and assessments, and timelines for transition.
There is a new key dates schedule for the Tech Awards with all the important dates that you will need for the year.
Component 1 and 2 PSA
The latest PSAs were released on 7 September and for the May/June moderation window. You can find them on the web page under Internal Assessment (PSA)
After results you can now see the Lead Examiner Report for Component 3 and the Lead Moderator Reports for Component 1 and 2. These contain valuable information about the assessments and have examples of students work. You can use these to help prepare your students.
Find them under External Assessment and Internal Assessment on the website.
We have added new Centre Standardisation Material for all qualifications. You will find them on the web page under Internal Assessment.Please note there are two documents one for CSM and the Commentary.
We updated the Assessment Record Template to better reflect the use of AI in assessments. Please ensure you are using the most up to date version of the form.
New cohorts for September 2026 will need a Digital Assessment plan. You can see how it all works and attend a live training event or just drop in if you have questions.
The Principal Examiner is there to ensure that the standards of an externally assessed unit(s)/module(s)/component(s) are maintained and are consistent with the unit specification and assessment criteria. The Principal Examiner should oversee the standardisation of Examiners.
The closing date if you would like to apply is 13 September.
