The headline finding
The report’s central message is simple and it’s that many schools are simply not confident using AI and don’t have the organisational capacity to improve teachers’ confidence – with almost two-thirds of school leaders saying that this is the biggest obstacle to progress.
For once, cost is not so much of a concern as there are many cheap of free AI tools available; it’s the knowledge around them that is currently lacking.
How are schools using AI?
So far, only 2% of schools have a fully developed AI strategy, though over half say one is in progress.
It is currently used for low-stakes, teacher-facing tasks such as generating resources, differentiating materials, drafting lesson plans and handling routine admin. These are activities where outputs can be checked before students ever see them. Meanwhile, student use is already widespread (one school found over 80% of its students using AI in some form) but largely unmanaged, leaving leaders anxious about learning integrity and safeguarding.
The survey revealed that leaders are broadly positive about AI’s potential, with 79% agreeing it could improve teaching and learning outcomes. But when asked about exact benefits, the answers were vague and there were very few concrete examples.
Getting ahead
The report reveals that the schools making the most progress with AI are tending to do a small number of things deliberately rather than attempting a complete overhaul.
The five recommendations for leaders are to:
- engage directly with AI yourself – modelling its use is prompts wider staff adoption
- define its purpose and boundaries before expanding
- start small – with low-risk, high-value tasks
- create opportunities to experiment but have clear guidance and guardrails
- provide formal training and opportunities for staff to build their capability through peer learning, too.
AI and equality
The most important warning from the report is that disjointed adoption risks widening existing gaps. Schools serving disadvantaged communities often simply don’t have the capacity to prioritise AI training or create opportunities for staff to experiment with it, even though they may stand to gain the most from any efficiency dividend.
The risk is that without a defined AI strategy, ad-hoc use may actually create inequality.
Read the full AI in schools: what school leaders need to know report here
References
- AI in schools: what school leaders need to know. Available at: https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/reports/ai-schools-what-school-leaders-need-know (Accessed 2nd July 2026)
