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

Date:
Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Description:
Although AI is widely used in English schools, only 2% have formal
strategies, leaving most struggling to grow adoption safely.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter New report claims only 2% of English schools currently have formal AI strategies No clear policies means the sector isnt 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. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: 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 ). You may like 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. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get
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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 staffs teaching time.

The report also uncovers how top-down leadership can impact AIs role within any given school, with sceptical leaders causing slower and patchier uptake. What to read next New KPMG report claims firms are "racing" to deploy AI
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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 TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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