September 2026 Drama update
Welcome to this September update with all the latest news on our GCSE Drama and A level Drama and Theatre qualifications.
This update provides all the support you need for the new academic year.
Please do get in touch if you have any questions using my details below.
In this update you will find information on:
- Results summer 2026
- Understanding your students' results - a guide to post-results services
- Lead Examiner and Moderator reports
- Grade boundaries
- Results Plus
- Access to Scripts
- Post-results support
- Appeals
- 26-27 Training and support in the autumn term
- New Admin Support Guides for 26-27
- New Online Text Submission for 26-27
- Drama and Theatre Facebook group
- Support and contact
Our post-results support guide can help you:
- navigate students’ results
- understand the available data
- find the right support if you have queries about grading or marking.
You can access Summer 2026 grade boundaries on our website from results day. In addition to the official grade boundaries that are produced at subject level, we will also be providing notional grade boundaries at paper level. These can help you mark and assess future mocks.
• View grade boundaries
• View guidance on setting grade boundaries
ResultsPlus is our free online results analysis tool, that gives you a detailed breakdown of your students’ performance in Pearson Edexcel exams.
It provides you with the most detailed analysis available of your students’ performance. ResultsPlus will help you to identify topics and skills where your students could benefit from further learning – helping them gain a deeper understanding of their subject.
Teachers can sign into ResultsPlus using their Edexcel Online username and password if their account profile has ResultsPlus access granted by the Exams Officer.
Take a closer look at ResultsPlus
Examiner Reports can be obtained from ResultsPlus on results day by following the steps below:
• Log into Results Plus using your Edexcel Online details
• Once you are logged in under your centre, select 'ResultsPlus Analysis'.
• Then select 'Whole cohort results' followed by 'Cohort paper analysis'.
• Select the relevant qualification and series, eg 'GCE' and 'June 2026', followed by the relevant subject and 'View paper analysis'.
• Select 'Exam docs' and you will find the Examiner Report for that component.
You can also use our free Access to Scripts service to view your candidates’ marked exam scripts online or download as a PDF. It is available from results day until the 11th December 2026.
Providing a rich source of information, you can use this service to help make decisions about requesting a review of marking, but it can also help inform future teaching and learning and gives insights and visibility that performance data alone cannot provide.
Note, you will need 'Exam viewer' in your Edexcel Online profile if you want to download candidate scripts from results day. Please ask your Exams Officer if you need this adding to your profile.
Discover more about Access to Scripts, along with FAQs and a step-by-step User Guide.
View our Access to Scripts guide
If you're not happy with your students' results this summer, you should take the following steps:
• View the grade boundaries, question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports for the paper/qualification concerned.
• View your students’ scripts using our free access to scripts service.
• Log in to ResultsPlus to see how your students have performed on every question and compare their performance to the national average.
• If you are still unhappy with your students' results, you may apply for a review of marking via our post-results services.
Full details of all our post-results services are available on our website.
• Access teacher post-results support
The deadline for requesting a Review of marking and moderation (ROMM) is 24 September 2026 for GCSE, A level and International GCSE (Service 1, 2 and 3).
View our guide to post-results services
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of a review of marking, you may wish to appeal against the decision. We will allow the head of centre (or designated member of the centre’s senior management team or examinations manager) 30 calendar days from the receipt of the outcome of the review of marking, during which an appeal may be lodged using the webform. There is further guidance on appeals on our website.
Applications for appeals may only be accepted from a head of centre (on behalf of a candidate or a group of candidates) or private candidates.
26-27
GCSE and A Level Drama training events this term
We have some free online training events happening this term for both GCSE and A Level, including All Set for 2026-2027 events in September. As your Subject Advisor, I'll be running these free online events.
In these sessions, we will:
- reflect on the summer 2026 exam series
- look at the key events and up-to-date information for this new academic year
- share ideas, resources and approaches to teaching the three components
have the opportunity to ask questions.
| GCSE Drama: All Set for 26-27 | 15 Sept 2026 | 1600-1700 BST |
Register now |
| A Level Drama and Theatre: All Set for 26-27 | 22 Sept 2026 | 16:00-17:00 BST | Register now |
| A Level Drama and Theatre: Sharing Best Practice in Pedagogy | 29 Sept 2026 | 16:00-17:00 BST | Register now |
| GCSE Drama: Supporting Students on Design Routes | 6 October 2026 | 16:00 – 18:00 BST | Register now |
| A Level Drama and Theatre: Exam Insights Summer 2026 | 4 Nov 2026 | 16:30 – 18:30 GMT | Register now |
| GCSE Drama: Coursework Marking Training – Component 1 | 11 Nov 2026 | 16:30 – 18:30 GMT | Register now |
| GCSE Drama: Exam Insights Summer 2026 | 16 Nov 2026 | 16:30 – 18:30 GMT | Register now |
| A Level Drama and Theatre: Preparing for Component 2 | 17 Nov 2026 | 16:30 – 18:30 GMT | Register now |
| GCSE Drama: Preparing for Component 2 | 19 Nov 2026 | 16:00 – 18:00 GMT | Register now |
| A Level Drama and Theatre: Engaging with Purpose – Preparing Students for Component 3 Success | 24 November 2026 | 16:00 – 17:30 GMT | Register now |
| GCSE Drama: Engaging with Purpose – Preparing Students for Component 3 Success | 1 December 2026 | 16:00 – 17:30 GMT | Register now |
New Admin Support Guides 2027
The Administrative Support Guide for the 2026-27 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
For any student completing their qualification this year, you will need to complete the online text submission form six weeks or more before your Component 2 performances take place.
For GCSE, you will need to submit the details of the Component 3 set text, plus all the Component 2 texts your students have chosen to perform this year.
GCSE Drama Online Submission Form
For A Level, you will need to submit details of the Component 1 text/s and practitioner/s, the Component 2 texts, and the Component 3 set texts and practitioners.
A level Drama and Theatre Online Submission Form
The new online forms will be available to use from 1st September.
If you need any guidance/suggestions for possible plays to use in Component 2, please have a look at our guides below:
If 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.
Subject advisor
Paul Webster
Drama, Theatre and Performing Arts
