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Teachers and school staff in England can start with the Department for Education’s free, four-module AI training collection. In Ireland, start with the national schools guidance and consider AIReady.ie for general AI fundamentals, while treating teacher-specific training and recognition as separate questions. The routes differ by jurisdiction, and free access does not automatically mean accredited continuing professional development (CPD).
What training is available in England?
The Department for Education (DfE) offers a free collection of AI support materials for school and college staff in England. The collection page says it was updated on 19 May 2026 for the 2026 to 2027 academic year. Its four modules cover understanding AI, interacting with generative AI, safe use, and education use cases. Staff can use the materials individually or in groups and adapt them to different levels of experience. View the DfE AI in education support materials.
The modules provide a practical sequence: understand the technology, practise prompting and checking outputs, learn safety considerations, then consider appropriate education use cases. The DfE’s module pages include module 1 on understanding AI, module 2 on interacting with generative AI, and module 3 on safe use.
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Make safety part of training for everyone
The DfE recommends the safe-use module for staff at every experience level: “We recommend that everyone follows this module.” It covers safeguarding, ethics, data, intellectual property and ways to mitigate risks. The department’s broader guidance says to assess intended uses and risks, avoid entering personal data into generative AI tools, and put safeguards in place for pupil use. These are core practices, not a specialist add-on for staff who are already using AI.
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- Learn how to cultivate a schoolwide understanding of AI,
- Implement student-centered practices that support academic integrity
- Ensure that effective teaching and learning remain the school’s top priority
For a school-wide view, the DfE also provides support materials for school and college leaders. They address opportunities and safety requirements, auditing current use, planning implementation and linking decisions to digital strategy.
Address coursework and assessment integrity
In England, Ofqual’s 2026 resources include a teacher lesson plan and a leadership briefing pack about AI and coursework. They can help staff set expectations for disclosure and communicate consistent rules. Ofqual says AI should not be used to generate coursework without proper disclosure and warns that this is cheating, with consequences that can include losing a qualification. Find Ofqual’s AI in coursework resources.
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What are the options in Ireland?
Ireland has a distinct route. The Department of Education and Youth announced national guidance on AI use in schools in October 2025. Use that guidance as a policy and planning starting point, then check what applies through your school, education authority or professional body. Read the announcement of Ireland’s national schools guidance.
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Ireland’s AI Advisory Council recommended that government lead AI literacy training for educators across educational levels as part of professional development. Its February 2025 advice also highlights equitable access, including financial and language barriers. The recommendation is a policy direction; it does not by itself establish an enrollment process or accredited course for every educator. Read the AI Advisory Council’s AI and Education Advice Paper.
AIReady.ie is general AI skills training, not an established teacher qualification
AIReady.ie is a separate, free platform described by Ireland’s Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science as offering short online courses in AI fundamentals. The department said each course takes less than 30 minutes to complete in its 23 April 2026 announcement. That announcement does not establish the courses as teacher-specific, accredited CPD or a teaching qualification. See the AIReady.ie launch announcement.
How to choose and use a training route
- Check the jurisdiction. The DfE collection described here applies to England. It should not be treated as the official offer for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. In Ireland, use national guidance and confirm local arrangements with the relevant authority or professional body.
- Match the material to the audience. Decide whether the need is baseline literacy for all staff, classroom practice, leadership planning or general AI skills. A general course may be useful for fundamentals without addressing school policy or teaching practice.
- Practise critically, not just fluently. Training should include how to interact with generative AI and how to check its output. A confident-sounding response is not proof that it is correct or suitable for pupils.
- Apply safety rules to real tasks. Discuss personal data, safeguarding, bias, intellectual property and human review before staff test a use case. Do not enter personal data into a generative AI tool.
- Choose a bounded education task. Staff might examine lesson planning, resource preparation or administration as possible uses. DfE guidance summarizes interview findings in which school and college leaders reported such uses; that is not evidence that AI will reduce workload in every setting. Evaluate the output and risks for the specific task.
- Give leaders a separate implementation discussion. Audit current use, assess risks, agree approved use cases, clarify policy, and decide how training and support fit the school’s digital strategy.
- Make assessment expectations explicit. Discuss permitted assistance, disclosure and coursework rules with staff and pupils, using local requirements and relevant materials such as Ofqual’s England resources.
- Verify recognition before counting it as CPD. Check whether the provider offers an assessment or certificate, and whether your employer or professional body recognizes it for CPD. The DfE collection includes a free multiple-choice assessment providing Chartered College certification, but the available information does not establish universal CPD credit or recognition of that certificate.
How to compare courses and materials
| What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Audience | Establish whether the material is for all staff, classroom educators, school or college leaders, or general learners. |
| Jurisdiction | Confirm whether it applies to England, Ireland or another local system; policies and official offers are not interchangeable. |
| Format and access | Check whether it is modular material, a video or transcript, a webinar, a self-paced course or suitable for group delivery. |
| Cost and recognition | Distinguish free access from assessed learning, a certificate and formal CPD recognition. Confirm recognition with your employer or professional body. |
| Safety and relevance | Look for coverage of safeguarding, privacy, age-related safeguards, bias, assessment integrity and local policy. |
| Language and inclusion | Consider accessibility, digital access, prior experience and language support, including needs in Irish-medium settings. |
Does free AI training count as CPD?
Not automatically. Free access describes cost, not accreditation or professional recognition. The DfE collection includes a multiple-choice assessment that provides Chartered College certification, but the cited information does not show that every school, employer or professional body accepts that certificate as CPD credit. The AIReady.ie announcement describes general AI fundamentals and does not establish educator accreditation. Ask the course provider what the certificate represents and check your institution’s CPD policy before relying on it for formal recognition.
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What about teachers elsewhere in the UK?
The DfE support materials in this article are explicitly for England. Teachers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should consult their own education department, local authority or professional body for current guidance and training arrangements rather than assuming the England collection is their official route. A UK-wide question therefore needs a jurisdiction check before enrollment.
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