AI-Powered Tutoring to Be Piloted in Schools in England
The government in England is preparing to test AI-powered tutoring tools in schools as part of a new initiative to reduce educational inequality. The pilot program, to be led by the Department for Education (DfE), is intended to expand access to one-to-one learning support, particularly for disadvantaged students who are eligible for free school meals.
DfE officials emphasized that access to private tutoring in England is deeply unequal, with children from wealthier families far more likely to benefit from such support. The AI-powered tools to be developed under the pilot scheme are expected to provide safe, personalized, one-to-one learning assistance, helping to address these disparities.
According to the plan, the government will launch a competitive tender process involving industry partners to co-develop AI tutoring tools in collaboration with teachers. These tools are designed to adapt to individual students’ needs, offering additional support when they struggle with lessons and identifying areas requiring further practice. The overall aim is to help students keep pace with their peers and improve learning outcomes.
From the summer term onward, a teacher-led co-creation process with industry will begin. The Department for Education has stated that the tools developed through this process will be made available to schools by the end of 2027. The rollout is expected to focus particularly on students in years 9 to 11, with plans to scale the initiative across secondary education.
The department also confirmed that AI-powered tutoring tools will undergo rigorous safety and effectiveness testing and will be designed to align with the national curriculum. Officials stressed that these tools are not intended to replace high-quality face-to-face tutoring but rather to complement existing teaching and learning practices within schools.