AI Technology Evaluation Guide This guide is designed to help primary school leaders make informed decisions about AI technology investments. Successfully integrating AI into schools requires thoughtful planning, strong infrastructure, and clear guidelines to ensure ethical use, safe implementation, and informed decision-making. This guide is built to support primary school leaders in asking the right questions and considering key factors before investing in AI solutions for the sector. The surge in adoption across the UK is clear: 58% of teachers now report using AI to help with their work (Teacher Tapp, 2025), but the benefits are only fully realised when efficiency gains are protected. AI must be reliable, ethically sound, UK GDPR compliant, and teacher-controlled to guarantee appropriate use and safeguard pupil data; investing in anything less puts your school or Trust at risk. Investing in AI isn’t just about adopting new technology—it’s about creating more effective, accessible, and pupil-centred learning environments. When designed to enhance educator impact, AI significantly reduces administrative burden; the Woodland Academy Trust found it reduced average weekly planning time by 52.5% (Woodland Academy Trust Report, 2025). This powerful time-saving potential allows teachers to personalise learning, unlock adaptive learning experiences and provide targeted support to help every pupil thrive. Safety, UK GDPR Compliance, & Ethics Is the tool fully compliant with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act (DPA), and are robust ethical and safety guardrails in place to actively prevent bias, mitigate risks of inappropriate outputs?
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Does the solution provide clear insights and measurable outcomes?
YES
NO
Does the AI tool support age-appropriate assessments that provide useful data insights?
YES
NO
Does the tool align with pedagogical and wider school priorities?
YES
NO
Does the platform provide students with meaningful opportunities to develop skills and understanding around the responsible and ethical use of AI?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Is the tool intuitive and age-appropriate for the intended audience and teachers?
YES
NO
Does the tool ensure that direct interaction with AI remains under the control of teachers, rather than pupils, to safeguard instructional integrity, pupil privacy, and responsible use?
YES
NO
Accountability Has the AI vendor established transparent, curriculum-aligned policies that align with existing regulations and support responsible use?
Fair and Transparent Is it clear to families how AI is being used with their children?
Efficacy
Instructional Value & Pedagogy
Teacher Oversight & Control Can teachers review, edit, and guide AI outputs, with safeguards to ensure pupil experiences are safe, equitable, and teacher-directed—without generative AI like chatbots?
Age Appropriateness & Ease of Use
- Catherine, Assistant Principal, Pendle Primary Academy
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Seesaw is a workload dream for our staff and we are so excited about the new AI features!