Welcome to your Pearson Edexcel Religious Studies January 2026 subject update!
Hello colleagues,
Welcome to the first Religious Studies update of 2026!
We’re kicking things off with brand-new A Level teaching resources to support your classroom practice, plus details of upcoming training opportunities, a look back at recent CPD highlights and a reflection on 2025.
Best wishes,
Jenna Wyatt
Religious Studies Subject Advisor
In December 2025, we released a pre-recorded Exam Insights training session for A Level Religious Studies, presented by our chair of examiners.
To access the recording and delegate pack, click below:
We have an upcoming online event designed to provide focused subject knowledge support for for the 'Living the Muslim Life / Practices' section, featured in the 'Islam' area of study.
To book your place and find out more please click below:
In October, we ran an online training session for teachers wishing to take an in depth look at feedback relating to our GCSE Religious Studies specification A (1RA0) summer 2025 exam series.
For those who were unable to join us for the event relating to specification A (1RA0), the recording is available to watch below.
Recording for 1RA0 exam insights
Link to the delegate pack:
This guide showcases the professional development opportunities available for Religious Studies.
Our training is built to help educators create lessons that are both engaging and impactful. Each session strengthens teaching practice while deepening subject knowledge and understanding of the Pearson specification.
See page 16 of the guide for to explore the available training for Religious studies:
In response to customer requests, we have produced guidance to clarify the level descriptors for the 'Explore' and 'Assess' questions and to translate the existing descriptors into language that is more accessible for students.
To access the resources, click the links below:
Every month, we release an edition of 'Topic of the Month' with the aim of supporting cultural capital and stimulating discussion within the classroom.
This resource ties a current news event to our qualification content and enables students to see the bigger picture of what they are learning and how it relates to the world around them. Each edition includes a link to an article alongside some key discussion questions to encourage thought around the subject.
November's topic relates to the removal of kneelers in Austin Diocese, raising questions about liturgical practice and interpretations of Catholic tradition.
December's topic rrelates to the rare display of a 300-year-old Guru Granth Sahib at
Edinburgh Gurdwara
NATRE are hosting their Strictly RE conference on Saturday 31 January 2026 and we are excited to be attending as an exhibitor.
We hope you can also attend and we look forward to seeing you there!
To find out more about the conference or for information about booking, please use the above link.
The Royal Institute of Philosophy is running an essay competition for their journal 'Think' for 15-18-year-olds.
The winning essay submission will be published alongside articles from leading philosophers from across the world. They are looking for essays of no more than 1,200 words, engaging with one of the following questions:
The essay submission will be assessed for academic merit and rigour. The closing date for submissions is Monday 20 April 2026.
Royal Institute of Philosophy Think Essay Prize
You can view rules of entry and eligibility criteria on their website.
We’re thrilled to give you a glimpse of everything the Religious Studies team at Pearson has done this year to support you and your students. We hope these materials have helped you create meaningful experiences in the classroom. Your commitment to inspiring learners every day is what drives us, and we’re excited to keep supporting you as we head into 2026.
(a) Question Revision Resources
Worksheets to support the teaching and learning of 12-mark d) questions:
I hope you found this update useful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch using the contact details below. You can also sign up to get these Subject Advisor updates straight to your inbox every month.
