Inspired Education unveils AI-powered lesson planner to save teachers ‘10 days a year’

19 Jun

Inspired Education Group has announced the expansion of its 'Inspired AI' programme with the introduction of Lesson Planner, an AI-driven tool designed to assist teachers.

This innovative platform is set to transform the daily routines of nearly 7,000 teachers across 80 schools by significantly reducing their administrative workload. The tool aims to save teachers at least 10 working days per year, allowing them to focus more on personalised student learning and engagement.

The Lesson Planner tool is part of Inspired Education Group's multi-million-pound investment in EdTech and will be phased in across all age-appropriate schools by September 2025.

Commenting on the launch, Torben Lundberg, Chief Information Officer of Inspired Education Group, said:

“We know that a lack of time caused by a backlog of unnecessary administration is highly frustrating for teachers. With Lesson Planner, teachers can spend more all-important, one-to-one time with students, tailoring lessons to their individual needs.

“Not only has this proven to increase engagement amongst students, but it’s also driving better outcomes for both pupils and teachers. These initial benefits – all with our pupils and staff right at the centre – are key and we expect there will be plenty more as the roll out continues through September 2025.

“Lesson Planner is a significant step in our overall Inspired AI strategy and marks the first of many exciting developments we have planned over the next five years.”

A recent UK government report revealed that teachers spend over seven "unnecessary hours" per week on administrative tasks. Lesson Planner, specifically designed for schools, aims to address this issue by simplifying the process of creating lesson plans and generating and marking cycle tests.

In a survey of 679 Inspired teachers, 57% cited time as the biggest challenge in developing new lesson plans, and 81% believed the tool would save them 1-2 hours per week. Additionally, 71% of teachers indicated they would use the extra time for personalised student learning, and 75% believed this would improve student outcomes.

The development of Lesson Planner was informed by data from Inspired's schools, with contributions from in-house experts and specialists from Faculty, a leading independent AI company in the UK.

The tool allows teachers to quickly create text and graphics-based PowerPoint content, facilitating the sharing of best practices and lesson plans among educators.

Introducing Lesson Planner is a key milestone in the Inspired AI programme, which began last year. A three-month pilot at King’s InterHigh, an online school under Inspired Education Group, showed promising results, with the AI tool saving teachers at least two hours of administrative work per week. The AI support platform is expected to create educational content, generate quiz questions, and analyse student performance.

Inspired's future AI initiatives include automated marking and feedback for weekly tests, integration of the Global Study Platform, and using Metaverse and Virtual Reality technology in classrooms.

Ashley Harrold, CEO – Online of Inspired Education Group, said:

“I am excited for the teachers to start using our Lesson Planner. Having been a teacher myself, I am acutely aware of just how much time goes into meticulously planning lessons which are adapted for all student abilities, so that lessons are engaging and meaningful for all. With this new tool, the time spent in planning such creative lessons will be reduced, allowing teachers to spend more of their valuable time and energy directly supporting the learning of students”.

Inspired Education Group will provide bespoke training to academic staff across the 80 schools to ensure successful implementation. The training will cover effective prompt writing, best practices, evaluating outputs, and developing specific use cases. According to the survey, 79% of Inspired’s teachers believe integrating an AI tool into their work would increase job satisfaction.

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