Seldon report urges national AI plan for schools in England
Sir Anthony Seldon and Tim Bunting want every school and college to have an AI strategy by September 2027. Their poll found 9% of young people think education is preparing them very well for a world with AI.
A report published on 22 September 2026 calls for a national framework on AI for schools and colleges in England, including training for teachers.
The authors are the former head teacher Sir Anthony Seldon and the venture capitalist Tim Bunting. BBC News reported that their 10-point plan wants schools to write their own AI strategies by September next year. Ofsted would then assess those strategies during inspections. Seldon co-founded AI in Education, a group set up in 2023 to help schools and colleges use the technology safely, the BBC said.
Put simply, education has not kept pace with how – and how much – young people are already using AI
The report includes a Public First survey of 4,021 people aged 11 to 24 in England, carried out in August. Tes reported that only 9% believe schools and universities are preparing them very well for a world with AI. That figure counts only the top answer. The reports do not give the other answers.
LBC reported that 87% of those surveyed have used an AI tool. It said 47% would trust AI over a person to check a fact. The report warns that some families and pupils may stop seeing school as a "legitimate use of their time and effort".
Other proposals include a rapid response unit on AI inside the Department for Education and a network of 100 "AI champion schools and colleges". The plan also proposes a "two-lane" assessment system. It would combine exams with continuous evaluation of pupils using AI.
For teachers and parents, nothing changes yet. These are recommendations and not government policy. A department spokesperson told the BBC that ministers take AI "incredibly seriously" and pointed to its curriculum changes, its AI tutoring tools and new vocational routes.
The report is a call for action by its authors. The reports do not say whether the department will adopt the framework or the September 2027 date.
Sources
- BBC News Schools not ready for AI and 'crying out' for government guidance, report warns
- Tes AI-savvy students may not see school as 'legitimate use' of time
- LBC Nearly half of young people trust AI more than humans for fact-checking, as report warns pupils may not see school as 'legitimate use' of time