DfE tech survey reveals major shifts in school AI use, digital strategy, and infrastructure gaps
New Department for Education research on English schools highlights stronger digital strategies, rapid AI uptake, and better infrastructure, but shows that evaluation, budgets, and training are still holding back impact.
The Department for Education (DfE) has published its latest Technology in Schools Survey: 2024 to 2025, a detailed look at how digital tools, infrastructure, and AI are being used across primary and secondary schools in England.
The five-wave biennial study, carried out by independent agency IFF Research, is designed to track progress toward DfE’s ambition that every school meets six core digital and technology standards by 2030.
The report draws on surveys of headteachers and senior leaders, classroom teachers, and IT leads to build a national picture of strategy, usage, impact, and barriers. It also sits alongside recent DfE policies and services, including updated digital standards, the Connect the Classroom infrastructure program, guidance on AI in education, and the Plan Technology for Your School service.
Digital strategies rise, but evaluation lags behind
Having a digital strategy is becoming standard rather than optional, particularly in secondary schools. According to the survey, 70 percent of secondary schools and 52 percent of primaries now have a digital technology strategy in place, with a further 20 percent of secondaries and 22 percent of primaries developing one. Only 7 percent of secondary schools and 20 percent of primaries report having no strategy and no plans to develop one.
Responsibility for these strategies typically sits with headteachers and senior leadership teams, while implementation is mainly handled by senior teams and IT managers. Most strategies are reviewed annually, which aligns with how fast platforms and policies are shifting.
Teachers, who often feel decisions are made over their heads, appear more involved than in previous cycles. Around two in five teachers now say their school or trust clearly communicates its digital strategy, provides opportunities to give feedback, engages them when planning education technology, and monitors how well technology is being implemented in classes. All four engagement measures have risen since 2023, with primary teachers consistently more positive than secondary colleagues.
However, the report is clear that strategy does not always translate into robust evaluation. Only around one in five leaders, 22 percent, say they have a formal evaluation plan or framework to monitor the effectiveness of technology. When broader mechanisms are included, such as surveys or outcome data, just 35 percent report having any form of evaluation at all, down from 41 percent in 2023. Around 29 percent have no evaluation framework and no plans to introduce one, a figure that rises to 31 percent for primary leaders.
That gap between planning and measurement runs through the report. Schools are putting more structure around digital decisions, but many still lack a consistent way to test whether devices, platforms, and licenses are actually improving teaching, learning, or efficiency.
AI tools move into planning while pedagogy stays cautious
The 2024–25 survey is the first to include a dedicated chapter on artificial intelligence, reflecting new DfE guidance on generative AI (GenAI) and expectations for safe product design.
Overall, 44 percent of teachers report using GenAI tools at least sometimes for school activities. The main use case is preparation rather than live teaching. Thirty-five percent use AI at least sometimes for lesson planning, 20 percent for administration, and 15 percent for giving written feedback such as reports. Only 7 percent use AI for delivering live lessons and 5 percent for marking, which aligns with ongoing concerns about reliability, fairness, and assessment integrity.
Usage patterns differ slightly by phase and context:
Around 41 percent of primary teachers and 46 percent of secondary teachers use AI at least sometimes for one of the listed teaching activities
Primary teachers are more likely to use GenAI for written feedback, while secondary teachers are more likely to experiment with AI-assisted marking
Teachers in academies report higher AI use than those in local authority maintained schools, especially for planning, admin, and marking
AI training is beginning to catch up but remains uneven. Around 21 percent of primary schools and 25 percent of secondaries already offer GenAI training for staff, with roughly half again planning to introduce it. At teacher level, 29 percent say they have received training on generative AI in the past year, compared with 36 percent who have had training on online safety and 31 percent on how to use a new platform or product.
When AI is used well, the report suggests it is saving time and supporting adaptation. Leaders and teachers in qualitative interviews describe AI as useful for drafting differentiated materials, tailoring reading resources, and generating ideas for adaptive teaching. At the same time, they raise familiar risks: uneven access, variable quality, and unresolved questions about plagiarism and misinformation, particularly in secondary homework.
The survey also links AI and broader EdTech use to workload and attainment. Sixty-one percent of leaders say technology has reduced staff workload over the past three academic years, while 43 percent of teachers agree. Two-thirds of leaders and just over half of teachers report that technology has contributed to improved pupil attainment, and both groups expect further gains over the next three years. These views are more positive than in 2023, especially in primary schools.
Infrastructure strengthens while budgets and CPD remain the main brake
On infrastructure, the report points to steady progress. Compared with 2023, more schools now meet the DfE’s connectivity and wiring standards. Among IT leads:
Sixty-seven percent of primaries and 97 percent of secondaries say they use a full fiber connection for broadband
Fifteen percent of primaries and 60 percent of secondaries have a backup broadband connection if the main line fails
Forty-nine percent of primaries and 54 percent of secondaries report using Wi-Fi 6, the latest standard listed in the survey
These improvements sit alongside government capital investment, including more than £215 million previously committed to the Connect the Classroom program and a further £45 million allocated for Wi-Fi and broadband upgrades in 2025–26. Most IT leads say their school’s Wi-Fi and broadband now meet their needs, although secondary schools remain more likely than primaries to report reliable connectivity and secure, well-performing network switches.
Against that backdrop, the main constraints are still financial and human rather than technical. On the leadership side:
Ninety-five percent cite budget constraints and 93 percent cite the high cost of technology as barriers to greater uptake
Around three-quarters point to availability of technology in school and to lack of time or the cost of professional development as barriers
Concerns about staff skills, confidence, and safeguarding have all increased since 2023, even as connectivity issues have become less prominent, particularly in primary schools
Teachers tell a similar story. Eighty-five percent say budget constraints and high costs are barriers, with many also highlighting limited availability of devices in school and at home, and home internet connectivity for students. Around six in ten see CPD time and cost as barriers, and more than four in ten mention their own appetite for using technology or unclear benefits as factors that limit their use.
The report repeatedly links better planning and infrastructure with better perceived impact. Leaders in schools with a digital strategy and any form of evaluation framework are more likely to say technology has reduced workload and supported attainment. Teachers who feel devices are fit for purpose are more likely to report positive effects on both workload and outcomes.
