In March 2026, the UK Department for Education announced a £23 million expansion of the EdTech Testbeds programme and confirmed that a comprehensive digital strategy would be included in the forthcoming Schools White Paper. The investment signals a major shift in national policy toward embedded AI in schools, with three stated priorities: strong governance, meaningful AI literacy for students and educators, and purposeful engagement with EdTech Testbeds. Schools will be expected to trial, evaluate, and embed AI technologies across teaching, learning, and assessment. The government hosted an international high-level summit on generative AI in education in 2026, convening education leaders globally.
Who it affects: Teachers, students, and school leaders across England; the policy will increase expectations for schools to integrate and evaluate AI tools across curriculum delivery and educational administration.
What is notably missing: AI literacy curriculum requirements are not binding — guidance only. No minimum standard for teacher AI training is specified before rollout. Funding for school-level professional development on AI is not separately allocated beyond the testbed funding. No mandate for ethics education in the AI literacy requirement. The White Paper has not yet been published; implementation details and binding expectations remain unclear.