Two-thirds of UK teachers using AI tools despite major policy gaps

This report is based on responses collected from
strong100 teachers collected between March 24, 2026 and April 14, 2026 directly from UK teachers through the Only for Teachers platform. All insights and findings are unique to our community.

Category: AI in education

Published: 14 April 2026

Author: Only for Teachers editorial team

Reading time: 5 min read

Topic: Teacher AI adoption and school policy gaps

65% of UK teachers are now using AI tools in their professional practice, yet two-thirds lack formal school policies to guide their usage. While teachers embrace AI to save time on admin and planning, concerns about misinformation and student cheating remain high across the profession.

Key findings at a glance

Based on 100 UK teacher responses, March–April 2026:

• 65% of teachers use general AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Google Gemini in their work
• 66% of teachers report their schools either have no formal AI policy or they're unaware of one
• 51% use AI primarily to save time on admin, emails, and planning tasks
• 47% worry most about AI providing incorrect information to students
• 42% are concerned about students using AI to cheat on homework

How widespread is AI adoption among UK teachers?

The data shows 65% of teachers now use general large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, or Google Gemini in their professional practice. Only 24% report not using any AI tools at all.

This represents steady adoption since our previous survey data, confirming that AI has moved from experimental curiosity to practical reality in UK classrooms. However, the dominance of general-purpose tools is striking. Specialist educational AI tools lag far behind, with marking assistants used by just 4% of teachers and lesson planning generators by only 3%.

The motivation is clear: 51% of teachers use AI primarily to save time on administrative tasks, emails, and planning.

Another 23% focus on creating more engaging or differentiated resources. This suggests teachers are approaching AI pragmatically, targeting their biggest pain points rather than chasing flashy classroom applications.

What are teachers' biggest AI concerns?

Despite widespread adoption, teacher concerns about AI remain substantial. 47% worry most about AI providing incorrect information to students, while 42% fear students will use AI to cheat on homework.

Interestingly, data security ranks lower than expected, with only 11% citing GDPR compliance as their primary concern. This may reflect teachers focusing on immediate classroom challenges rather than abstract policy risks, or it could indicate insufficient awareness of data protection implications.

The concern about 'cold or impersonal' AI-generated feedback, cited by 26% of teachers, highlights the profession's continued emphasis on human connection and personalised learning.

How prepared are schools for the AI revolution?

Here lies the survey's most striking finding: 66% of teachers work in schools without clear AI guidance. 37% say they can use AI tools but have no formal guidelines, while 29% aren't aware of any policy at all.

Only 27% report their schools provide both tools and training, a figure that looks particularly low given the pace of AI development and the government's recent push for digital skills in education.

With just 3% saying AI use is discouraged or blocked, most schools appear to be taking a permissive but hands-off approach. This creates a policy vacuum where individual teachers make their own decisions about AI integration, potentially leading to inconsistent practices across departments and year groups.

What do teachers want from AI tools?

When asked about their ideal AI 'super tool', teachers' responses reveal their practical priorities.

The most common request involves marking assistance, with teachers wanting tools that can handle essay marking, provide meaningful feedback, and accurately read student handwriting.

Other requests ranged from subject-specific applications (like MFL games) to environmental concerns about AI's carbon footprint. The diversity of responses suggests the education AI market still has significant room for innovation tailored to specific teaching needs.

The data reveals a profession in transition. Teachers are adopting AI tools at pace, driven by practical needs around workload and time management. Yet they're doing so largely without institutional support or clear guidelines. As AI capabilities expand, schools will need to move beyond informal tolerance to providing proper training, policies, and purpose-built tools that address teachers' real concerns about accuracy, student integrity, and maintaining the human elements of education.

What's your experience with AI in your school? Share your thoughts and join next week's survey on teacher professional development priorities.

Join the conversation by participating in next week’s survey to ensure your professional voice shapes the UK education debate.

Our Methodology

About This Survey

All insights published on OnlyForTeachers come directly from teachers across the UK. Each week, we run original surveys on topics that matter most to educators — from classroom practice and workload to wellbeing and policy changes.

Who Takes Part

Participants are active UK teachers who have registered with OnlyForTeachers. Every response remains fully anonymous.

How We Collect Data

Our surveys are designed and distributed weekly through the OnlyForTeachers platform. Questions are short, relevant, and built to capture honest opinions efficiently. Each survey typically runs for one week, and responses are gathered using secure, GDPR-compliant forms.

Data Integrity

We ensure one response per teacher, prevent duplicate entries, and apply basic data cleaning before publishing results. No weighting or external adjustments are made — what you see reflects the real voices of UK teachers.

How We Analyse & Publish

Responses are aggregated and summarised by the OnlyForTeachers research team. Results are published exclusively on our website and social channels and are original to this community. When relevant, we also feature selected teacher comments to add qualitative insights.

Use of Insights

You’re welcome to reference or cite our findings in your articles, research, or policy papers — please credit: “Source: OnlyForTeachers – Original UK Teacher Survey Insights”

Only for Teachers Research Team