UK Boosts AI Tutors, Expands SEND Rights
The UK government is advancing educational support for disadvantaged and disabled students. The Department for Education is offering a £1.8m contract to develop AI-powered tutoring tools. This initiative coincides with a policy promising a radical expansion of rights and specialist support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
- The AI tutoring initiative is part of a wider "AI Classroom Tutors" program, with trials in secondary schools starting later this year and a full rollout to all schools expected by the end of 2027. - The expansion of rights for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is detailed in the "SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan". - A new legal requirement will mandate schools to create Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for all children with SEND, which is expected to grant legally enforceable rights to over a million students who currently have none. - For students with more complex needs, the existing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) will be retained and improved, with a "triple lock" of protections to ensure no child loses their current support during the transition. - The government is investing a total of £4 billion in the SEND overhaul; this includes £1.6 billion directly to schools and a £1.8 billion "Experts at Hand" service to fund more SEND teachers and therapists. - To ensure the quality and safety of the new AI tools, the government is developing a "Sovereign Benchmark" to evaluate whether the AI tutors are effective, safe, and aligned with the curriculum. - The AI tutor development is also linked to a £23 million investment to expand the government's "EdTech Testbeds" pilot program, which will allow over 1,000 schools and colleges to test AI tools and assistive technology. - The transition to the new system will be gradual, with the movement from EHCPs to ISPs for children in mainstream schools set to begin in 2030.
