LEO Academy Trust partners with Gradr to test AI assessment tools in UK schools

UK multi-academy trust joins Swedish EdTech firm as its first development partner to adapt AI-driven grading and feedback for local classrooms.

Gradr and LEO Academy Trust announce a partnership to develop AI-powered assessment and feedback tools tailored to UK schools

LEO Academy Trust and Gradr have announced a partnership to develop and test AI-powered assessment tools tailored to the UK education system, marking the Swedish company’s first formal expansion outside its home market and signaling continued momentum for AI in classroom assessment and teacher workflow support.

The collaboration will see LEO Academy Trust work directly with Gradr as a UK development partner, contributing teacher input to shape how the platform aligns with local curriculum requirements, assessment practices, and feedback expectations across both primary and secondary settings.

Focus on adapting AI tools to UK classrooms

The partnership centers on adapting Gradr’s platform, which is designed to support grading and feedback processes, to the structure and demands of the UK system. This includes how assessment criteria are interpreted, how feedback is written, and how tools integrate into day-to-day teaching workflows.

Phillip Hedger, CEO at LEO Academy Trust, says: “At LEO Academy Trust, we are always looking for innovative ways to support our teachers and enhance pupil outcomes. We are delighted to be Gradr’s first UK development partner because they share our belief that the best EdTech is built with teachers, not just for them. By collaborating to tailor this platform specifically to the UK curriculum, our staff are helping shape a tool that delivers high-quality, meaningful feedback while actively reducing teacher workload.”

Gradr says the approach is not to replicate its Swedish model directly, but to build a version that reflects how UK teachers assess student work and manage feedback at scale. The company will use ongoing input from LEO Academy Trust staff to iterate on the product.

Track record in Sweden and expansion strategy

Gradr reports that its platform has been used in Sweden to streamline grading and reduce teacher workload, including reducing grading time by up to half in some cases. The company positions its technology as a way to standardize feedback and reduce variability in assessment.

Noah Langert Hedman, Co-founder and CEO of Gradr, says: “This is an important step for us. Working closely with LEO Academy Trust allows us to learn faster and build something that truly fits the needs of teachers in the UK.”

The UK has been identified as a key expansion market due to its structured approach to assessment and established expectations around feedback. The partnership model allows Gradr to test product-market fit with direct input from educators before scaling further.

The collaboration reflects a broader trend in EdTech, where AI tools are increasingly positioned as a way to reduce administrative workload and support more consistent assessment practices. In this case, the focus is on automating elements of grading while maintaining teacher oversight.

LEO Academy Trust, which includes more than 4,500 students and over 600 staff across its schools, will act as a live test environment for the platform as it evolves. The setup gives Gradr access to continuous classroom feedback, while the trust gains early access to tools designed to streamline marking and feedback processes.