New study claims just 2% of schools in England have AI strategies — despite it being 'already embedded in day-to-day teaching and learning' | Tech Radar

Overview

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Details

Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

New study claims just 2% of schools in England have AI strategies — despite it being 'already embedded in day-to-day teaching and learning'

Only 2% of English schools currently have formal AI strategies

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

New report claims only 2% of English schools currently have formal AI strategies

No clear policies means the sector isn’t working together to define use cases safely

Clear strategies, but also room to experiment, are the next steps

New data from Accenture has revealed that, even though schools across England are already using artificial intelligence to support learning, only 2% actually have formal strategies.

Full deployment strategies aside, only 12% of the 200 secondary schools surveyed have any type of AI policy, leaving an overwhelming majority investing and deploying blindly.

As a result, most schools are ultimately conducting informal experiments with AI, but on a national level, a lack of consistency or shared learning across the education system could be putting the sector several marks behind enterprise and business counterparts.

Moving beyond experimentation needs a clear strategy

“Many school leaders are navigating this shift without clear guidance or the confidence to implement the technology effectively,” UK&I Head of Accenture Matt Prebble said.

Still, schools are far behind businesses, with 27% of C-suite and senior leaders noting they have a comprehensive AI strategy, per Gartner data (via The Times of India).

AI in schools: the fastest route to a more resilient and skilled workforce

'AI adoption has become a game of chance': Employees are being left to navigate AI tools on their own as businesses fail to implement proper training

New study claims firms are ready to spend big on AI, but are afraid to take the first step

Besides surveying around 200 secondary schools, Accenture also conducted 30 in-depth interviews with school leaders, who generally believe that AI has significant potential to improve education once early niggles are ironed out.

At the moment, leaders are worried about plagiarism, safeguarding and bias. Teachers are also being considered in AI rollouts, even if formal strategies lack – nearly two-thirds (63%) cite a lack of staff confidence.

But early adopters are already starting to see results, with common use cases across education including lesson planning, generating quizzes and drafting mock exam questions.

Separate Government reporting also implies that AI can help provide tailored feedback and support personalized learning, as well as administrative tasks that would otherwise take away from staff’s teaching time.

The report also uncovers how top-down leadership can impact AI’s role within any given school, with sceptical leaders causing slower and patchier uptake.

New KPMG report claims firms are "racing" to deploy AI

Study shows many students are actually using AI for good — smashing the myth of cheating and laziness

New study finds people are becoming more accepting of AI - just about

“Building the leadership capability and providing practical support to adopt AI responsibly will be critical to ensuring its benefits are delivered consistently and equitably across the education system,” Prebble added.

Regionally, London leads the way with 29% of leaders using AI everyday, compared with just 12% in the rest of England.

Support for how to use and deploy AI is starting to be written

“Safety should be the top priority when deciding whether to use generative AI in your education setting,” the Department for Education stressed. Industry regulator Ofsted also supports the responsible use of AI.

But with artificial intelligence no longer an experimental novelty and pressures from Ofsted monitoring, schools are being urged to consider more detailed strategies as they deploy AI.

“The biggest risk is doing nothing and assuming that you can just continue as is,” an unnamed headteacher told Ofsted in a separate report.

Teach First CEO James Toop also emphasized the knock-on impact poor strategies could have on schoolchildren: “Ensuring every young person, regardless of background or where they live, can safely benefit from the opportunities AI presents must be a priority for the education system.

Accenture and Teach First set out five key priorities for schools looking to advance their AI strategies: headteachers and leaders should engage with AI more directly and visibly; policies should clearly define purpose and boundaries; early pilots should start where value is clearest before progressing; teaching staff should be given permission to experiment with use cases; and shared learning must complement formal training for a more rounded approach.

Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

1 One of AMD's most powerful CPUs gets a 60% price cut — 192-core EPYC 9965 CPU costs less than $6000 new and I can't explain why it's so cheap

2 Want a cheap Yeti cooler for your 4th of July celebrations? I'm a deal-hunting outdoor expert, and I've tracked down the only holiday offers actually worth your money

3 Adobe and Disney are teaming up to design the next generation of theme park rides with Foundry AI

4IBM unveils new record-breaking chip with 100 billion transistors in less than 1 nanometer footprint — new Nano Stack design is like "a 100-storey skyscraper" packed with highly efficient processing power

5 Apple may have a plan to 'ease frustration over price hikes and longer delivery times' with its Macs — but I wouldn't count on it working

Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Key Takeaways

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards