England’s Department for Education rolls out AI use guidance for teachers
England’s Department for Education (DfE) has launched official guidance letting teachers use AI to speed up marking and write letters to parents. Schools are getting training materials showing how AI can "automate routine tasks" so teachers can spend more time face-to-face with pupils.
The DfE says AI should be used only for "low-stakes" marking like quizzes or homework. Teachers must always check AI results and be transparent about its use. Approved AI tools only. Manual checks remain key to spotting student cheating. 
One example shows AI generating a letter about a head lice outbreak, matching the tone of previous letters. The guidance also urges schools to have clear policies on when AI is allowed for staff and students, including teaching pupils to spot deepfakes and misinformation.
Emma Darcy, a secondary school leader and AI consultant, said teachers have "almost a moral responsibility" to learn AI since students are already using it deeply. But she warned AI risks, like data breaches and hallucinated facts.
"AI can come up with made-up quotes, facts [and] information," Darcy said.
"You have to make sure that you don’t outsource whatever you’re doing fully to AI."
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said AI tools will "cut workloads," letting teachers focus on inspiring teaching and personalized support.
"We’re putting cutting-edge AI tools into the hands of our brilliant teachers to enhance how our children learn and develop –
freeing teachers from paperwork so they can focus on what parents and pupils need most: inspiring teaching and personalised support," she said.
The Association of School and College Leaders’ Pepe Di’Iasio noted many schools already use AI safely but flagged tight budgets as a barrier for broader adoption.
"However, there are some big issues," he said.
"Budgets are extremely tight because of the huge financial pressures on the education sector and realising the potential benefits of AI requires investment."
BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, called the guidance an "important step forward" but said teachers want clarity on how to tell parents when AI was used, to avoid extra reporting burdens.
Similar advice is out in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, where a study by Oxford Brookes University launched this month will examine AI’s impact on literacy.
Here’s the full DfE training slide showing how AI can write routine parent letters.
