February 2026 teaching English update
Short month, short update!
What’s in the February teaching English update?
📱 What’s happening with onscreen assessment?
📚 This in Lit: next steps
🗣️ Let’s Talk English: read the latest report on rethinking resits
⏰ Deadline reminders: entries for June 2026
🗓️ Summer 2027 Provisional Timetables
🔤 A level Language: 9EN003 responses to subtopic questions & updated issues, concepts and theories guide
🌍 Int GCSE: Get your November 2025 examiner reports & news of paid‑for resources from Educake
🧰 Functional Skills: take part in our contexts survey and access some great training and drop‑ins
🎓 February training round‑up: GCSE networks and CAR event.
I hope you find the update useful.
Best wishes
Clare Haviland
Ofqual consultation on onscreen assessment
Ofqual has launched a consultation on proposals for how onscreen assessment should be regulated in GCSEs, AS and A levels in England. Whilst they propose a controlled introduction of onscreen 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
Pearson onscreen update for English
If you’re not already offering English Int GCSEs or IALs onscreen, you may not yet be familiar with everything that’s on offer, such as 9 familiarisation papers for English Language A and English Literature.
Or come to a drop-in session on 25 February or 11 March.
Thank you to everyone who registered their interest in This is Lit. We have been delighted by the level of enthusiasm around the book club, and to ensure a fair and representative start, we have now allocated the first set of places to a geographically diverse group of schools for the initial phase of the programme.
For schools not included in this first phase, there will be many opportunities to get involved throughout the year. We will be sharing resources such as discussion guides and review templates, along with online events and regular updates from our This is Lit book club.
We’re excited to bring more schools into the programme as it develops and will continue sharing ways to take part throughout 2026.
We're pleased to share the next instalment in our Let's Talk English mini-series, this time, turning the spotlight on post-16 English resits.
Across our Let's Talk English conversations, students and educators described a system that can feel repetitive, pressurised and disconnected from students' futures. At the same time, they highlighted inspiring examples of practice that are already helping learners move forward with confidence.
With the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper introducing new pathways for students, this report brings together educators' perspectives on what else we can do to support students' progression.
Don't forget to make your summer 2026 entries for ELC, GCSE and A level by 21 February 2026 (UK centres) or 21 March (Int centres).
The entry deadline for International GCSEs and IALs is 21 March 2026.
Get more information about the entries process
Summer 2027 Provisional Timetables
The Provisional timetables for Summer 2027 will be available on our Provisional timetables web page from Monday 2nd February. The feedback window will run until Friday 20th March.
Please send any feedback to timetables@pearson.com
Go to the timetables page
You asked: we listened -updated issues, concepts and theories guide: coming soon
By the middle of February, we will be publishing an updated guide to help you understand the scope of delivery in this area, especially for components 1 and 2.
Responses to questions submitted by teachers for the June 2026 9EN0 03 subtopics
We’ll be publishing the responses to the questions you asked about the 2026 subtopics shortly.
Examiner reports from the November 2025 exam series available
Access the examiner reports now with Edexcel Online login
Paid-for support material for our English Int GCSEs with Educake, including 260 quiz questions on ‘Klara and the Sun’
Educake offers support for both English Language A and English Literature.
Try out a sample ‘Klara’ quiz
Try out a sample ‘Pride and Prejudice’ quiz
Pearson is carrying out a Functional Skills context review in 2026. Our aim is to ensure that the contexts we use in our assessments are learner focused and are accessible to most learners.
Take a look at the current contexts and have your say on their appropriateness in our surveys.
Access the information and surveys
If you’re new to FS, do come to ‘Everything you wanted to know about FS English' on 26 February.
Don’t miss drop-in clinics in February and March:
Standardising Internal Assessments
English Writing
Subject advisor
Clare Haviland
English
