Welcome to the October 2026 update from your Subject Advisor
This month's update highlights the latest news, qualification reform updates, upcoming training opportunities, and support to help with your teaching and delivery.
For key dates and qualification-specific resources, please see my September 2026 Art update.
Qualification reform continues to shape the education landscape across general and vocational qualifications.
Pearson's reform hub brings together the latest updates, insights and support to help educators understand upcoming changes and prepare with confidence.
How clear is your GCSE specification about what to teach, and how deeply?
We’re redesigning how specifications are written and want to hear directly from teachers about what works and what doesn’t. The survey is short, anonymous and takes around 12 minutes - and you can take part whatever exam board you use.
JCQ have now published 2026 results on their website for GCSE and A level.
The results provide insights into student entries and attainment in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. JCQ has published results data for 26 years and all the data is on their website to facilitate comparisons.
For the first time JCQ has also published interactive data dashboards for A levels and GCSEs. These dashboards are being piloted with GCSE and A level data in the first instance.
Whether you're new to teaching the qualification or looking for a refresher, our upcoming training events are designed to support you.
Sessions will cover insights from the 2026 series, qualification delivery, assessment requirements and administrative guidance.
Our bitesize videos and event recordings have moved to the new Pearson YouTube channel.
Our bitesize video playlists provide support with evidencing the assessment objectives, as well as teaching and delivery:
Our event recordings playlists include recordings of past webinars, training events and support sessions:
Stay on track with key BTEC dates, deadlines and milestones throughout the year. The guide also includes links to guidance, training, events and support resources to help you plan ahead and stay informed.
We recommend bookmarking the guide and sharing it with colleagues involved in qualification delivery.
Deadline:13 November 2026
The Digital Assessment Plan (DAP) is live, giving centres a simpler way to plan assessments.
Art and Design qualifications in scope are:
Qualifications not in scope will continue to use the existing assessment plan template. A full list can be found in Appendix A of the centre guide.
If you're delivering the T Level in Craft and Design, we've published an overview of the core content changes introduced in the 2026 specification.
Explore live and on-demand training for UK and International BTEC qualifications, the Digital Assessment Plan and Quality Assurance, and T Levels.
When Dee was uncertain about his future and needed direction, BTEC helped him turn his passion for creativity into a career. It gave him a path forward – and led him to become a teacher, where he helps others turn their potential into possibilities.
For students figuring out their own paths this back-to-school season, Dee’s story is a powerful reminder that learning can change lives.
Dates: 5-11 October 2026
Join Art UK for a week of free events, webinars and resources exploring the importance of visual literacy in education and beyond.
Discover practical classroom approaches, hear from experts, and explore how visual literacy can help students develop critical thinking, communication and creativity skills.
Dates: 5-11 October 2026
The Art History Festival 2026 offers a range of online and in-person events for teachers and students, providing fresh insights into art history, visual culture and creative practice.
Date: 14 November 2026
AccessArt and Henry Moore Foundation are offering a free Learning Through Making event, exploring hands-on approaches to creativity, making and artistic practice.
The programme offers inspiration for educators looking to develop practical, process-led learning experiences in the classroom.
Discover The Art of Mathematics, a free online resource from the National Gallery of Australia.
Featuring mathematics teacher, YouTuber, and author Eddie Woo, it explores the links between mathematics, art and design, offering inspiration for cross-curricular learning.
Stay connected for the latest news, resources and events by following my social media channels.
Join our teacher Facebook groups for a supportive space to share ideas, swap tips, ask questions and stay up to date.
Sign up to receive Art Subject Advisor updates straight to your inbox each month.
I hope you found this update useful. If you have any questions, please get in touch using the contact details below.
Welcome to the September 2026 update from your Subject Advisor
