TL;DR

The UK government is running a tender for AI tutoring tools to be developed with teachers, targeting 450,000 disadvantaged pupils annually by 2027. The tools aim to provide personalised one-to-one support that evidence shows can accelerate learning by around five months.

Addressing the Attainment Gap

Currently, just one in four disadvantaged children achieve a pass in English and maths at GCSE grade 5 or above, compared to over half of their peers. Whilst one-to-one tutoring can significantly accelerate learning, access remains deeply unequal—children from wealthier families are far more likely to benefit.

The government’s approach is to use AI to scale personalised tutoring that adapts to individual pupils’ needs, providing help when students get stuck and identifying areas requiring more practice.

“AI tutoring tools have the potential to transform access to tailored support for young people, taking tutoring from a privilege of the lucky few, to every child who needs it,” said Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

Teacher-Led Development

The initiative prioritises teacher involvement at every stage. Co-creation with educators begins in the summer term, with tools available to schools by the end of 2027. The government has committed to robust testing and the development of benchmarks to ensure tools are high-quality, reliable, and safe.

Importantly, the Department for Education emphasises these tools will complement face-to-face teaching rather than replace it. Teachers will receive clear, practical training developed with the education sector.

Looking Forward

This announcement sits within a broader government push on education technology, including a £23 million investment to expand the EdTech Testbeds programme to over 1,000 schools and colleges. The challenge will be ensuring AI tutoring delivers genuine educational value whilst maintaining safety standards—a balance that will require ongoing evaluation as the tools reach classrooms.