January 2026 Drama update
Happy New Year! In this January newsletter you will find all the latest news on our GCSE and A Level Drama and Theatre qualifications.
Please do get in touch if you have any questions using my details below.
In this update you will find information on:
- Key dates
- GCSE and A Level Drama and Theatre Component 2 information 2025/2026
- Admin Support Guides 2026
- Training events this term
- Useful links for GCSE and A Level
- Forbidden texts information for Component 3
- Review of Component 1 centre marks by candidates
- Drama and Theatre Facebook group
- Ofqual consultation for on-screen assessment
- Music and Drama Education EXPO 2026
- January Challenge 2026
- Support and contact
Summer 2026 entry deadline
The deadline for making entries for UK GCSE and A level centres offering Drama is 21 February 2026.
The deadline for international centres offering GCSE and A Level Drama is 21 March 2026.
GCSE and A Level Drama and Theatre Component 2 information 2025/2026
Here is an update on the Component 2 assessment window for this academic year.
The Component 2 assessment window opened on the 5th January and runs until the 24th April.
Your assigned examiner will be making contact within the next two weeks, if they haven't done so already.
If you haven't heard from your examiner for Component 2 by Monday 19th January, please do get in touch with us by emailing drama.assessment@pearson.com or contacting us via the
Please note: Exam entries must be made in your centre before the Component 2 assessment takes place. Please speak to your exams office about this.
Admin Support Guides 2026
The Administrative Support Guide for the 2025-26 academic year is the go-to place for all the information and guidance your centre needs for administering the three Components successfully.
It contains:
- the key dates for this academic year
- a breakdown of the requirements for each Component
- a link to the Live Theatre Evaluation Confirmation Form
- guidance on how to use LWT
- contact details for your assessment team and Subject Advisor
| GCSE Drama: Coursework Marking Training – Component 1 | 14 January 2026 | 16:30-18:30 GMT | Register now |
| GCSE Drama: Engaging with Purpose – Preparing Students for Component 3 Success | 20 January 2026 | 16:00-17:30 GMT | Register now |
| GCSE Drama: Preparing for Component 2 | 29 January 2026 | 16:00-18:00 GMT | Register now |
We've put together all the useful links you need in one document, including:
- Qualification Website
- The Specification (issue 6)
- The Administrative Support Guide 2026
- All the forms you need: CCIS Forms, NEA Authentication Forms, Statement of Intentions
- The link to the Performance Text Submission form
- Teaching and Learning Materials - Exemplar Material, Guides including List of Component 2 and 3 Pre-Approved Texts, Set Text Guides, Practitioner Guides
- Exam Materials - Question Papers, Mark Schemes and Component Examiner Reports
Forbidden texts information for Component 3
To help you choose appropriate live productions for your students, we have guidance to clarify which set texts and types of productions i.e. sung through musicals are forbidden in Component 3. Students might be awarded 0 marks if they refer to a production of a set text or a sung through musical, so it's important to ensure that you refer to this guidance before the examination is taken.
Review of Component 1 centre marks by candidates
The GCSE and A level Drama qualifications are unique in their creative and subjective nature, and because they are marked by teachers before being moderated externally, there is no option for individual reviews once results have been published.
The only post-results service available is a review of moderation (Service 3), which looks at the whole cohort, not at individual candidates. As such, the only opportunity for an individual candidate to query their mark, is before marks are submitted to the awarding body.
It is therefore essential that the processes surrounding assessment uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, and centres must ensure that students are both informed of their marks, and given the opportunity to request a review of the centre’s marking, before marks are submitted to the awarding body.
Please read this guidance on the responsibilites of the centre ahead of the published deadlines for submission of marks, the review process, and resources to support you and your students submission of marks
Do you teach GCSE Drama or A level Drama and Theatre?
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.
Ofqual consultation for on-screen assessment
Ofqual has launched a consultation on proposals for how on-screen assessment should be regulated in GCSEs, AS and A levels in England. Whilst they propose a controlled introduction of on-screen assessment, pen-and-paper will remain central to most exams.
As teachers working directly with students, you understand their needs and the challenges this proposal may present.
Your opinion counts. The consultation closes on 5 March 2026. Please take a look and have your say.
The 2026 Music and Drama Education EXPO takes place on 12 and 13 February in the Business Design Centre in London.
Both days are free and there are tons of workshops, talks, seminars and opportunities to learn about what's happening in the world of performing arts, music and drama education.
On Thursday at 1015 in the Exhibitor Showcase Theatre myself and the Subject Advisor for Music, Jeff Hole, will be leading a session on the future of Key Stage 4 and 5 qualifications in Music, Drama and Performing Arts. We will be discussing our perspective on the future of Key Stage 4 and 5 qualifications in Music, Drama and Performing Arts, sharing research findings, priorities from teachers and students, and what the future holds for these subjects.
Join the final January Challenge!
Pearson is proud to partner with 64 Million Artists for the last-ever January Challenge – a free programme of daily creative prompts throughout January. Perfect for classrooms, staff rooms, and whole-school activities.
This year the theme is ‘Courageous Change’ with each of the prompts designed to help us get a new perspective, build our courage and helpus collaborate so that we can be more prepared for this ever changing world.
At Pearson, we've helped create the schools resource pack again this year and two prompts were written by your Subject Advisors!
To get involved, you can:
- Sign up to receive daily creative prompts in January
- Download the schools pack
- Use the schools pack to help your school get creative and make change
Last year 360,000 people took part and we’re hoping to make the last one the biggest and best. There’s no better time to make change than now, so sign up and take part, and we’ll see you there!
Subject advisor
Paul Webster
Drama, Theatre and Performing Arts
