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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTeachers in England can start with the Department for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 short, free courses in general AI fundamentals. Neither route should be assumed to provide formal continuing professional development (CPD) credit: check recognition with your school, employer or relevant professional body.
Which route applies where you teach?
The most specific official training offer in the sources below is for England, not the whole UK. The DfE collection is for school and college staff and was updated on 19 May 2026 for the 2026 to 2027 academic year. In Ireland, national schools guidance provides a policy starting point, while the AI Advisory Council has recommended AI literacy training for educators as part of professional development. These are distinct routes, not one UK-and-Ireland programme.
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- England: use the DfE’s Using AI in education settings: support materials.
- Ireland: consult the Department of Education and Youth’s announcement of national guidance on AI use in schools, and check local arrangements for educator training.
- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: the cited DfE training is not established as the official offer for these jurisdictions. Check your local education authority or professional body for relevant guidance and CPD options.
How to access the England training
The DfE collection brings together four modules for school and college staff. Materials can be used individually or in groups and are designed to accommodate different levels of experience. Start at the collection page to access the modules and associated resources.
- Build a shared understanding. Module 1: Understanding AI in education introduces AI for staff at all experience levels.
- Practise using generative AI critically. Module 2: Interacting with generative AI addresses how to interact with these systems and check their outputs. A fluent answer is not necessarily a reliable one; professional judgment remains necessary.
- Make safety part of everyone’s training. Module 3: Safe use of generative AI covers safeguarding, ethics, data, intellectual property and risk mitigation. The DfE says, “We recommend that everyone follows this module.”
- Explore relevant education uses. The fourth module addresses use cases. Treat examples such as lesson planning, resource preparation and administration as opportunities to evaluate, not promises of workload savings.
The collection also includes webinars, case studies, an online journal and materials for leaders. A free multiple-choice assessment offers Chartered College certification. That certification is not proof that a school, employer or professional body will award CPD credit; confirm recognition before relying on it for a formal requirement.
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What Ireland’s options establish—and what they do not
Ireland’s Department of Education and Youth announced national guidance for the use of AI in schools in October 2025. It is a useful starting point for school policy and planning, but the announcement does not set out an enrolment process or establish a universal teacher-training course.
The AI Advisory Council’s February 2025 AI and Education Advice Paper recommends that government lead AI literacy training for educators across educational levels, as part of professional development. It also highlights equitable access, including financial and language barriers and the needs of Gaelscoileanna. A recommendation is not, by itself, confirmation that a specific training programme is running or that it carries accredited CPD.
AIReady.ie, launched in April 2026, is a separate free platform for general AI skills and fundamentals. The department’s announcement says each course takes less than 30 minutes. It does not establish that the courses are teacher-specific, accredited or recognized as CPD, so check those details with your employer or professional body if they matter to you.
What a useful school training plan should cover
For classroom educators
- How AI and generative AI work, and where their limitations affect teaching.
- How to test outputs, check factual claims and apply professional judgment before using generated material.
- Data protection, safeguarding, bias, ethics and intellectual property. DfE guidance advises against entering personal data into generative AI tools and calls for safeguards when pupils use them.
- One or more real tasks—such as preparing a resource or planning a lesson—reviewed for accuracy, appropriateness and fit with local policy rather than assumed to reduce workload.
The DfE’s broader guidance on generative AI in education advises settings to assess intended uses and risks, avoid putting personal data into generative AI tools, and put safeguards in place for pupil use.
For school and college leaders
Staff training alone does not settle how an institution should use AI. The DfE’s support for school and college leaders covers opportunities, safety requirements, auditing current use, planning and integrating AI into digital strategy. Use it to structure a separate leadership discussion about approved use cases, risk assessment, policy and how staff will be supported.
For assessment and coursework
In England, Ofqual’s March 2026 AI in coursework resources for schools include a teacher lesson plan and a leadership briefing pack. They can help staff explain expectations around disclosure and coursework consistently. Ofqual says AI should not be used to generate coursework without proper disclosure and warns that this is cheating, with serious consequences that can include losing a qualification. Apply the guidance relevant to your jurisdiction and assessment rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to check whether a course meets your needs
Before committing staff time, compare options against the requirements that matter to your setting:
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- Audience: Is it for all staff, classroom educators, leaders or general learners?
- Jurisdiction: Does it apply to your nation and align with your school’s local guidance?
- Format: Can staff use modules individually or together? Are transcripts, webinars or self-paced options available?
- Recognition: Is there an assessment or certificate, and does your employer or professional body accept it for CPD?
- Safety and relevance: Does it address privacy, safeguarding, bias, age-appropriate use and assessment integrity?
- Access and inclusion: Is it accessible to staff with different levels of experience, language needs and digital access?
The cited sources establish free access to the named resources and describe a Chartered College certification assessment for the England collection. They do not establish universal CPD credit for that certificate or for the other offers. In Ireland, the Advisory Council specifically raises cost and language access as issues to consider.
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