How Primary Schools Can Use AI in 2026: What the DfE Guidance Says

AI in education has moved beyond curiosity. Leaders and teachers in primary schools are asking where it genuinely helps, where it creates risk and how to tell the difference. This guide does not claim to measure how many schools are using AI, because there is no single reliable figure we can point to. Instead, it sets out what the Department for Education's published guidance says AI can be used for, and what that means in practice for a primary school.

The main source throughout is the DfE's guidance on generative artificial intelligence in education, which applies to schools and colleges in England and was last updated in August 2025.

Where the DfE says AI can help

The DfE guidance describes generative AI as having the potential to reduce some of the administrative burden on teachers, staff and school leaders, and to free up teachers' time to focus on teaching. It names several kinds of use: creating educational resources, lesson and curriculum planning, tailored feedback and revision activities, and administrative tasks.

Those four areas make a useful framework. For each, it helps to ask the same two questions: what is the benefit, and what could go wrong? The sections below take them in turn.

Use 1: creating educational resources

The benefit. Resource creation takes a large share of planning time. AI can draft a first version of a worksheet, a set of questions, a short text at a particular level or a reading comprehension in minutes, giving the teacher something to edit rather than a blank page.

What to watch. The DfE warns that AI-generated content can be inaccurate, biased, out of date or unreliable, and that tools can produce false information presented as fact. A resource that looks polished may contain an error a child would pick up. The teacher's check is not optional.

There is also an intellectual property point. The DfE guidance notes the risk of secondary infringement if AI outputs draw on unlicensed material. Treat generated content as a draft you adapt, and be careful about reproducing it at scale or publishing it widely.

Use 2: lesson and curriculum planning

The benefit. AI can suggest a sequence for a unit, propose activities for a learning objective or turn rough notes into a structured plan. This is helpful for subject leaders who are covering unfamiliar areas.

What to watch. The DfE guidance notes that AI training data may not match a particular curriculum. A plan that sounds sensible may not fit your school's curriculum, the national curriculum requirements or the needs of your class. The guidance is also clear that AI cannot replace the judgement and deep subject knowledge of a teacher. Use it to generate options, then decide with your own expertise.

Use 3: tailored feedback and revision activities

The benefit. The DfE points to research suggesting AI could help with feedback and customised support. A teacher might use AI to draft a set of revision questions at different levels, or to generate a first version of general feedback comments that they then adapt.

What to watch. This is the area that needs the most care, because it comes closest to individual pupils. Three principles apply.

First, keep identifying information out. The DfE guidance says personal data should not be entered into generative AI tools, and that where it is strictly necessary, schools must make sure their use complies with data protection law.

Second, the teacher stays in charge. The DfE guidance is clear that the quality and content of any final document remains the responsibility of the professional who produced it. AI can suggest, but the teacher decides what a child sees and what it means for their learning.

Third, be aware of the guidance on pupils' work. The DfE says schools should not allow pupils' original work to be used to train AI models without permission from the pupil or their parent or guardian. Uploading a child's writing to a tool needs a clear answer on how that tool handles it first.

Use 4: administration and communications

The benefit. Drafting letters, summarising long documents and preparing routine communications are time-consuming, low-risk tasks. These are often the best place for a school to start, because the output is easy to check and does not depend on pupil information.

What to watch. Even routine administration can involve personal data, such as names in a letter or details in meeting notes. The simple rule is to remove or generalise anything that identifies a person before using an AI tool, and to check the school's approved tools list first.

Safeguarding and pupil use

Safeguarding duties do not change because AI is involved. The statutory guidance Keeping children safe in education continues to apply.

The DfE guidance puts safety first when deciding whether to use generative AI. Where pupils use AI, it says they need appropriate safeguards, including close supervision and safety, filtering and monitoring features, and that schools should comply with the age restrictions set by AI providers. The DfE has also published generative AI product safety expectations, which describe what AI products used in education should meet to be considered safe. They are a helpful reference when you are asking a supplier about a tool.

Data protection: three questions before any tool

Before adopting a tool, a school should be able to answer three questions.

1. What is our lawful basis? Under UK GDPR, you need a lawful basis for using personal information. The ICO sets out the options in its lawful basis guidance. Your data protection officer can advise on which applies.

2. Do we need a data protection impact assessment? The ICO says an assessment is required when processing is likely to result in a high risk to individuals, and lists the use of innovative technologies among the factors that can point that way. Its guidance on data protection impact assessments explains how to decide. The ICO notes that some of this guidance is under review, so check the current version.

3. What does the supplier do with our data? Ask whether prompts are used to train models, how long information is kept, where it is processed and which sub-processors are involved. The answer can differ between consumer accounts and organisation accounts, so read the terms that apply to the account your staff will actually use.

The government's guidance on data protection in schools explains the wider duties schools carry.

How Ofsted fits in

School leaders often ask whether Ofsted expects them to use AI. The published position is that Ofsted supports innovation and the use of AI where it improves the education and care of children, and that it will consider uses of AI it encounters on inspection. You can read its position on the Ofsted approach to AI page. The practical takeaway is to be able to explain your decisions: what you use AI for, why, and what safeguards you have in place. The DfE guidance also recommends that leaders weigh the benefits and risks of a tool before using it.

Questions governors can ask

If you are a governor or trustee, these questions help you check that a school's approach is sound without needing technical knowledge.

• Which AI tools are staff allowed to use, and who approved them?
• Is there a short written policy, and do all staff know what it says?
• What information is staff told never to enter into an AI tool?
• Who checks AI-assisted material before it reaches pupils or parents?
• Has the school considered whether it needs a data protection impact assessment?
• How will pupils use AI, if at all, and how is that supervised?
• How is the school explaining its approach to parents?

The last question reflects the DfE's recommendation that schools consider how they engage with parents about AI tools. A short, clear explanation tends to prevent worry later.

Putting it together: a worked example

Here is how the pieces fit in a single, everyday task. A Year 4 teacher wants a short reading comprehension about the water cycle for the following week.

1. The teacher asks an approved AI tool for a short text and five questions at the right level. No pupil information is involved.
2. The teacher reads the text and checks every fact against a reliable source, correcting a small error the tool has introduced.
3. The teacher edits the questions so they match what the class has covered, and adds one stretch question from their own knowledge of the group.
4. The finished resource is saved with the school's other materials, and the teacher notes roughly how long the whole process took compared with writing it from scratch.

Nothing in that sequence needs a large project or a new system. It uses AI for the part it does well, a fast first draft, and keeps the teacher responsible for accuracy and fit. Repeated across a term, small steps like this are what free up time.

Where to go from here

The most useful first step is rarely a big project. Choose one or two low-risk tasks, such as drafting a routine letter or a set of practice questions, agree a one-page policy and make sure staff know how to check what AI produces. Then review what you have learned before going further.

If you would like help working out the right starting point for your school, building the policy and training your team with confidence, you can read more about AI training for UK schools, or see how we support primary schools in East Sussex. You can also book a free 15-minute call to talk through where you are starting from.