AI at work, by industry · Teachers, teaching assistants, tutors, exams officers, school leaders and governors
AI in schools and colleges: what the DfE expects, and protecting assessment
What staff may use AI for, what must never go into it, and how to keep coursework honest.
- 2modules
- 1.5CPD hours
- 90guided minutes
- Freeto study
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About this course
Generative AI is in every staffroom and every pupil's pocket. It can draft a lesson plan or a letter home in seconds, and it can write a pupil's coursework just as quickly. Schools need staff who know what it is for, what it must not be given, and what to do when a piece of work does not sound like the pupil who handed it in.
The Department for Education has published guidance on generative AI in education, product safety standards for AI tools used with pupils, and support materials for staff, refreshed in May 2026. The Joint Council for Qualifications sets the rules on AI in assessed work. Ofsted has said it looks at the effect of AI on pupils, not at the use of AI in itself.
This course turns those into what a member of staff should do: the first module on using AI safely as a professional, the second on coursework, authenticity and what the rules require when misuse is suspected. It applies to England; the other UK nations publish their own guidance.
What you will be able to do
- State what the DfE says staff may use generative AI for
- Explain why responsibility for any AI assisted output stays with the professional
- Decide what information must not be entered into an AI tool
- Explain the rules on pupils' use, age limits and supervision
- Describe what the product safety standards expect of tools used with pupils
- State what counts as AI misuse in assessed work and what a student must acknowledge
- Authenticate a pupil's work and act when misuse is suspected
- Explain why an AI detection tool is not proof
Modules
Assessment and certificate
Knowledge check after each module and a final assessment at 80 per cent, with unlimited attempts.
A digital certificate, issued the moment you have passed and paid, showing 1.5 CPD hours with a verification code. It evidences knowledge of the safe use of AI in education and of the rules protecting assessment. It is not a regulated qualification, it is not endorsed by the Department for Education or any awarding body, and your school's own policies and your awarding body's instructions apply.
Questions
Are teachers allowed to use generative AI?
Yes. The DfE's guidance says teachers may use it for things like lesson and curriculum planning, creating resources, feedback and administrative tasks. It also says the quality and content of any final document remains the responsibility of the professional who produced it.
Can I put pupils' names or work into an AI tool?
The DfE recommends that personal data is not used in generative AI tools, and data protection law applies in any case. A pupil's original work is also their intellectual property: it must not be used to train an AI model without permission from the pupil, or from a parent or guardian.
An AI detector says a pupil's essay is 90 per cent AI. Is that enough to act on?
No. JCQ's guidance says detection tools vary in accuracy and can be part of the evidence, but teachers who know their students are best placed to judge authenticity. Compare the work with what the pupil has produced before and talk to them about it.
Does Ofsted inspect how a school uses AI?
Not as a thing in itself. The DfE's guidance records Ofsted's position that it does not directly evaluate the use of AI, but considers the effect that the use of AI has on the outcomes and experiences of children and learners.