Psychology subject update

Welcome to our autumn 2026 newsletter

As the new academic year gets underway, we're pleased to share a range of updates, events and resources to support your teaching.

As you begin teaching Year 2 of the updated A-level Psychology 7182 specification, a range of resources is available to support first delivery. Take a look at the teaching area of our website, where you'll find schemes of work, updated subject-specific vocabulary and teacher guides, along with the updated specimen assessment materials available in Centre Services.

Since our last newsletter, we hosted our third AQA Psychology: The Teachers' Conference, and we’d like to thank everyone who attended and contributed to making the event such a success. The conference, held on 30 June, received overwhelmingly positive feedback and highlighted the strong appetite within the psychology teaching community for opportunities to engage with contemporary research and expert-led discussion.

We're delighted to be building on that momentum with another exciting programme of professional development this term. By popular demand, Dr David Pitcher returns with Placebo: Help or Hindrance. We’re also pleased to welcome Dr Sam Rankin, Principal Clinical Psychologist and lecturer at the University of York, whose masterclass will explore approaches to depression through the lens of third-wave therapies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). The session will examine the theoretical foundations of these approaches, review the current evidence base and bring ideas to life through worked case examples.

Alongside details of these masterclasses, you'll find information about this term's Curriculum Connects, events and resources designed to support your teaching throughout the year. We look forward to seeing many of you over the coming months.

If any members of your team would like to receive subject-specific updates, they can easily sign up for AQA subject updates , so they’re always informed and part of our community.

Best wishes

Rosie McGinley

Subject Lead for Psychology and Law

Help shape the future of digital assessment

We’d like to hear about your experiences of digital teaching, learning and assessment through a short survey.

By sharing your experiences, you’ll help us shape the guidance, resources and support teachers need as digital assessment continues to evolve.

The survey contains 24 questions, takes around 12 minutes to complete and closes on 1 November 2026. As a thank you, participants who complete the survey can enter a prize draw for the chance to win one of four £50 gift vouchers.

Curriculum Connect sessions

Join a Curriculum Connect session and discover the latest news, resources and support available to you. We'll focus on topics that support you in the autumn term and beyond, keeping you well-connected and inspired to do what you do best.

In our ‘Exploring Summer 2026’ Curriculum Connects, we will explore AQA results for A-level, AS and GCSE Psychology and national data trends from the summer 2026 exam series, along with key insights from the examiner reports and suggested areas of focus for the 2027 exams.

These free sessions are online, making it easier for you to join us. Discover the sessions available to book today on our professional development pages

Community links

Hachette Learning UK Secondary Teacher Insights Panel

If you’re not already signed up to the Hachette Learning UK Secondary Teacher Insights Panel, sign up now. You’ll be able to take part in short, optional research activities that help inform future resources. You can also earn rewards such as e-gift cards, discounts and books.

Oxford University Press back to school offer

Access the Oxford University Press AQA A-Level Psychology Offer until the end of Sept 2026.

Experiments in a Box

The University of Lincoln’s Experiment in a Box is a specialised teaching resource developed by the university's School of Psychology to help A-level teachers run psychological experiments in the classroom. Sign up for the Experiment in a Box materials.

British Psychological Society – A-level student membership

Perfect for psychology students looking to broaden their understanding, stay up to date with current research and explore ideas beyond the classroom. 

BPS Teachers’ Toolkit

Explore the free resources in the BPS, where you'll find recent additions to the toolkit, including:

• Teachers' Toolkit: Adolescence
• Teachers' Toolkit: Schema Theory
• Teachers' Toolkit: Storytelling
• Teachers' Toolkit: Toxic Online Content.

New and updated teaching resources

Whether it’s schemes of work, community links or teaching guides, we’ve got what you need, many of which have been updated or are new. Access them on our plan, teach and assess tabs on our Psychology web pages. More resources are available on our Centre Services secure web page.

Take a look at our teaching guides which have been designed to support the delivery of the updated A-level specification.

If you’re logging into Centre Services for the first time, you’ll need to register, and the Centre Admin (usually your exams officer) will approve your access.

Get more with MyAQA

myAQA gives you access to everything you need to plan, teach and assess, including our secure extranet – Centre Services. Here you’ll find essential resources, such as the latest past papers, as well as Teacher Online Standardisation (T-OLS) and much more.

Don’t have a myAQA account yet? Complete a short form to get started. Once your Exams Officer has verified your registration, then you’re ready to go.

Transform your teaching through examining

Whether you're looking to enhance your CPD, gain a fresh perspective on assessment or bring new ideas and insights back to the classroom, examining can have a lasting impact on your teaching and career. By seeing real student responses from across the country and understanding how marks are gained and lost, you'll develop valuable insights that can help you prepare learners more effectively, while building your professional credibility and experience.

Apply to become an examiner today or join one of our free online taster events to discover what the role involves and hear from experienced examiners.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) within assessments

Read the latest JCQ guidance on the use of AI in assessments in the AI in assessments: protecting the integrity of qualifications document. The guidance explains how AI can be used appropriately in assessments and outlines the requirements for reporting suspected misuse.