Teachers and students across the UK are set to benefit from a ground-breaking government initiative to integrate artificial intelligence into classrooms, aimed at enhancing the quality of education and reducing administrative burdens on teachers. As part of a wider national strategy to harness the power of AI, the government has awarded £1 million in funding to 16 ed tech companies to develop AI-powered tools that will assist teachers with marking and delivering personalised feedback.
The announcement follows the Prime Minister’s broader vision to integrate AI across public services, revolutionising sectors like healthcare, law enforcement, and now, education. The goal is to turbocharge the government’s Plan for Change, creating a decade of national renewal by leveraging AI to break down barriers and expand opportunities for all.
Improving Feedback and Reducing Teacher Workload Evidence consistently shows that high-quality feedback significantly enhances student performance. However, providing detailed, individualised feedback is one of the most time-consuming aspects of teaching. By automating key elements of this process, AI tools are set to free up teachers’ time, allowing them to focus more on delivering inspiring lessons and engaging directly with students.
The AI tools under development will cater to specific subjects and age groups, ranging from marking handwritten English essays and modern language assignments to interpreting maps and diagrams for geography students. Some developers estimate that these tools could reduce the time spent on formative assessment by up to 50%, significantly lightening teachers’ workloads.
Balancing AI Efficiency with Teacher Expertise
While the tools will streamline tasks like grading and error identification, they are designed to retain teacher oversight. Teachers will have the final say on all feedback, ensuring a balance between AI efficiency and professional judgement. For instance, an AI tool might instantly analyse a batch of essays for grammar and content coherence or flag recurring mistakes in math equations, allowing the teacher to tailor the next lesson accordingly.
Education Secretary’s Vision
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson highlighted the transformative potential of this initiative. “High quality teaching is the single biggest driver of high standards in schools,” she said. “Through harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence, we can get teachers at the front of classrooms doing what they do best – teaching. Giving every child a cutting-edge school experience is a crucial part of our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity.”
Training AI with Accurate Data
By April 2025, the funded companies are expected to have developed their prototype AI tools, all trained using a first-of-its-kind data resource. This AI content store, backed by an additional £3 million from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, will include curriculum guidance, lesson plans, and anonymised pupil work. By providing AI developers with access to this comprehensive dataset, the tools are expected to achieve up to 92% accuracy in feedback, compared to 67% when trained on generic data sources.
A Broader Technological Shift
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle emphasised the broader implications: “AI has the power to transform education by helping teachers focus on what they do best—teaching. These 16 UK innovators, including start-ups and universities, will develop cutting-edge AI tools that will drastically reduce the time teachers spend marking homework and assessments. Through this approach, we’re not only improving education but also ensuring our public sector services are world-class.”
According to a recent survey by TeacherTapp, nearly half of teachers already use AI in some capacity, but many current tools lack the specificity and accuracy required for effective classroom use. This new initiative aims to bridge that gap by providing reliable, targeted solutions built specifically for the UK education system.
Innovators Driving Change
Daniel Appleby, co-founder of Summatic, one of the companies receiving funding, spoke about the project’s potential. His company is developing an AI tool to provide tailored feedback for maths students aged 16-19. “This funding marks a significant milestone in our mission to use AI-enabled technology to deliver more equitable learning outcomes for students across the United Kingdom, whilst alleviating the marking and admin burden faced by teachers,” he said.
Looking Ahead
The AI initiative is part of a broader push to reimagine public service delivery through technology. By making intelligent use of public sector data, the government aims to improve outcomes for people across the country and position the UK as a leader in AI-driven innovation. As these tools become integrated into classrooms, they promise not only to enhance teaching efficiency but also to help every student receive the individual attention they need to succeed.