Recent developments: Expanding Oak National Academy’s AI initiatives to support teachers

The UK government has recently expanded its investment in AI tools for Oak National Academy. This decision reflects the country’s approach to educational resources and teacher support. Initially created during the Covid-19 pandemic as a temporary remote learning platform, Oak National Academy has since become an independent body, now central to the government’s strategy for reducing teacher workload and enriching classroom resources.  

The latest funding round targets AI-driven tools designed to streamline lesson planning, reinforce curriculum flexibility, and offer teachers practical solutions to alleviate administrative burdens. To learn more about what’s possible with technology in education, you can explore https://www.altamira.ai/edtech-development/. 

From emergency response to education support body 

Launched in 2020 as a swift response to school closures, Oak National Academy was a temporary lifeline for teachers and students adapting to remote learning. Yet it outlasted the pandemic, and in 2022, the Department for Education (DfE) converted it into an “arms-length body” with a mission to support teachers beyond pandemic pressures. Under this new mandate, Oak offers free, adaptable resources to teachers across England, focusing on a flexible, evidence-based curriculum that teachers can tailor to meet classroom needs. 

A new investment in AI Tools for teachers: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement 

In October 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak committed another £2 million to Oak’s budget to develop AI-driven teaching tools, marking a significant new step in the government’s education strategy. This funding is specifically directed toward creating an AI-powered “lesson-planning assistant” to help teachers save time on administrative tasks, including lesson design and assessment preparation.  

The initiative reflects the government’s focus on addressing teacher workload, which has been at the forefront of recent education discussions. Research shows that teachers in England often spend excessive hours on planning and administrative tasks, cutting into their time for actual instruction and student support. 

The AI tools envisioned by this investment aim to relieve some of that pressure. By assisting with the time-intensive aspects of lesson planning and classroom management, the government hopes to give teachers more time to focus on teaching itself. The lesson-planning assistant is set to offer options for building quizzes, customising lesson structures, and organising content, making the logistics of teaching less burdensome. Importantly, this approach seeks not to replace teachers’ expertise but to equip them with resources that make their work more efficient. 

Testing the Waters: The DfE’s two-day AI hackathon 

As part of the initial rollout of AI tools, the DfE hosted a two-day “AI hackathon” in collaboration with Faculty AI, the National Institute of Teaching, and the AI in Schools Initiative. The event brought together teachers, school leaders, and AI specialists to brainstorm and experiment with practical AI applications in classrooms. Participants explored how AI could assist in lesson planning, enhance real-time assessments, and simplify feedback processes, all within an open, hands-on environment designed to elicit insights and feedback. 

The hackathon reiterated the DfE’s interest in grounding AI tools in the everyday needs and challenges educators face. By involving teachers early in the design process, the DfE seeks to ensure that any AI tools developed genuinely support classroom needs rather than introduce new difficulties. For many educators, the hackathon also offered a chance to voice concerns and explore possible limitations of AI—such as the potential for automation to shift the dynamics of teaching or the ethical implications of AI-driven assessments. 

Addressing workload: Government’s commitment to teacher hours 

The new AI tools also align with a broader government initiative to reduce teacher workload. Alongside the Oak investment, the government has recently announced a partnership with the Workload Taskforce, aiming to decrease teachers’ working hours by five hours per week. This focus on easing time pressures directly addresses a primary reason for teacher attrition: the time required for planning, grading, and other non-instructional tasks. By working closely with teachers and educational experts, the government hopes to devise various workload solutions, with AI integration forming a crucial part of this plan. 

The DfE has also launched an “AI call for evidence” to gather insights from educational professionals on using AI in schools. This initiative seeks a well-rounded view of both the opportunities AI presents and the potential ethical challenges, ranging from data privacy issues to questions about fairness and the role of AI in shaping curriculum. Feedback from this call will likely guide not only Oak’s upcoming projects but also the government’s overall AI policies in education, helping to balance technological potential with ethical responsibility. 

Educators have raised concerns about the implications of introducing AI in teaching, particularly when it comes to data use, accountability, and the risk of standardising classroom activities in a way that might limit teacher autonomy. The DfE’s consultation process addresses these worries by ensuring that AI development in schools is shaped by those directly involved in education. 

Oak’s role in the future of AI-powered education 

The government’s expanded funding for Oak National Academy’s AI tools proves a measured but forward-looking approach to integrating digital educational resources. While the promise of AI in schools is often met with caution, Oak’s projects are designed to be highly practical, aiming to support traditional teaching. 

As Oak begins to roll out these new AI-driven tools, the DfE’s continued engagement with teachers will help to adapt the technology to real classroom dynamics. Rather than a top-down implementation, this approach aims to allow teachers to be part of the testing and shaping of these resources. Such collaboration will help ensure that the AI tools developed genuinely fit into the rhythms of classroom teaching and support learning outcomes.