WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY....
LEADING CHANGE: WHAT DO WE NEED TO SUCCESSFULLY ADOPT AI IN CLASSROOMS? MICHELLE WALKER, Director of Procurement at YPO
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I has moved at an exponential pace from the edges of education to something schools across the country are incorporating into everyday practices. We’ve seen multiple government strategies and initiatives launched in 2025, all aimed at creating greater efficiency and improving teaching in UK classrooms. There are clearly benefits to be had; however, for many professionals across the sector, there is currently a lack of clarity, training and guidance on how best to prioritise tight budgets and use the technology.
It’s important to ensure educators are investing precious time and money in the
right uses of AI that can make tangible, positive differences in teaching. To do this, we can look at how and where it has been used most effectively.
The story so far
To date, AI has predominantly been used by education professionals as a time saving admin tool. This has mostly been teachers using large language models (LLMs) to assist with tasks like lesson planning research, generating tasks, proofing admin documents, as well as generally supporting back-office tasks.
The UK Government supports this and pushes further on the potential in its Generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education report. The Department for Education outlines that AI can create more time for teachers to focus on pupils by assisting with creating educational resources, curriculum planning, supporting personalised learning and providing tailored feedback.
Some of this activity is already happening in more advanced settings, as we have seen with AI tools being implemented in tutoring systems and chatbots for pupil support. Whilst adding time saving efficiency, these applications can also help teachers track performance and develop tailored resource plans to improve individual learning per pupil. But the can in this equation poses a fundamental question: how effective are these AI tools in practice?
In response, the Department for Education has stated generative AI as a rules-based marking tool showed 92% accuracy in a pilot with teachers on year 4 literacy work when drawing from appropriately coded educational data and content. So far so good, but there is quite a jump to assume AI models will be “appropriately coded” across all of the UK when there are limited resources and guidance advising on use in education settings.
Bridging this gap is crucial, especially for schools and MATs with limited time and capital resources that are already facing wider challenges.
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www.education-today.co.uk February 2026 Challenges ahead
Schools and MATs face a myriad of challenges going into 2026, even before AI comes into the equation. Budgets remain tight, SEND-related spending is projected to be in the billions, and there are still many schools across the UK in need of RAAC repairs. With an already highly saturated edtech market and new compliance requirements under the Procurement Act, it’s understandable that, for some, adding AI learning decisions to the mix may feel like an additional challenge. This situation is enhanced by concerns over the ethical use of AI. The Department for Education has highlighted key risks associated with AI, including concerns around safeguarding, data privacy, and GDPR compliance. There is also potential for pupils in schools to use AI unethically. A National Literary Trust survey found that the number of 13–18-year-olds using generative AI as a learning tool increased from 33% in 2023 to 77% in 2024: this highlights an upward curve that presents teachers with new challenges daily, from plagiarising homework to pupils creating harmful bullying content.
Setting standards
For AI to be part of a solution rather than part of a list of problems, the government must outline a clear framework and training for how the technology can be used ethically and effectively to improve teaching. In setting this guidance, teachers would have greater clarity and confidence adopting AI, but this would also apply to partners across the education sector. From public procurement organisations to AI service providers, understanding the parameters of fair usage would enable better support to be provided.
The upcoming schools white paper could be a golden opportunity to provide this much needed feedback and set a standard for how AI can help those working across the sector. This would reinforce the DfE’s wider ambition for AI to enhance the education of young people.
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