UK Government Endorses AI for Teachers to Ease Marking and Administrative Work

The UK Department for Education has officially issued guidance permitting teachers in England to use artificial intelligence for automating routine tasks such as low-stakes marking and drafting letters to parents. The goal: to reduce educator workloads and allow more time for meaningful student interaction.

AI as a Classroom Assistant

Training materials distributed to schools, first reported by the BBC, encourage teachers to adopt AI tools for activities like grading quizzes or generating communication templates, such as notifications about health issues like head lice outbreaks. However, educators are advised to remain transparent and double-check AI-generated outputs.

AI can come up with made-up quotes, facts and information. You have to make sure that you don't outsource whatever you're doing fully to AI.

Emma Darcy

Balancing Innovation with Oversight

The Department for Education emphasized that only approved AI tools should be used. Schools must establish clear policies on how both teachers and students are allowed to use the technology. Manual verification remains the best defense against misuse, including academic dishonesty and misinformation such as deepfakes.

According to the guidance, AI should support but not replace professional judgment. Tasks like complex assessments or grading final exams remain firmly in human hands.

Voices from the Sector

While AI adoption in schools has been uneven, the response to the new guidance has been cautiously optimistic.

We're putting cutting-edge AI tools into the hands of our brilliant teachers to enhance how our children learn and develop – freeing teachers from paperwork so they can focus on what parents and pupils need most: inspiring teaching and personalised support.

Bridget Phillipson

Many schools and colleges are already safely and effectively using AI. It can ease workloads and help solve recruitment and retention issues. But budgets are tight, and realising AI’s potential requires investment.

Pepe Di'Iasio

Teachers will want clarity on exactly how they should be telling those parents where they've used AI, for example in writing emails, to avoid additional pressures and reporting burdens.

Julia Adamson

Across the UK and Beyond

The UK’s devolved administrations have also acknowledged AI’s growing role in education. Scotland and Wales allow professional use of AI in schools, and Northern Ireland is currently conducting a study via Oxford Brookes University to explore how AI can enhance educational outcomes.

Though this is the first time official training materials have been issued, the use of AI in classrooms is no longer theoretical. Both teachers and students are already engaging with the tools and with the government’s endorsement, broader adoption is expected to follow quickly.