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Good practice Imported

RAISE — Northern Ireland's AI Literacy Research Trial and £10.7m Teacher AI Rollout

United Kingdom · Belfast · See the United Kingdom profile · See the Belfast profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 14% 67/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Northern Ireland funded a 15,000-pupil study of the Amira Learning AI reading tool for disadvantaged and SEND pupils, then rolled out a £10.7m AI-licence and training scheme for every teacher — which the NASUWT union says teachers remain "deeply sceptical" will ease workload.

15,000+ pupils
Pupils enrolled in RAISE matched-pair study (2025-2026)
10.7 GBP million
Teacher AI-licence and training scheme funding (announced 6 May 2026)
RAISE — Northern Ireland's AI Literacy Research Trial and £10.7m Teacher AI Rollout RAISE — Northern Ireland's AI Literacy Research Trial and £10.7m Teacher AI Rollout

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Northern Ireland Department of Education, with Oxford Brookes University and Amira Learning
Period
2025-2026
Keywords
literacy intervention, special educational needs, teacher professional development

Context

In June 2025, Northern Ireland's Department of Education announced funding for a national research study, led by Oxford Brookes University, to evaluate whether the Amira Learning AI reading tool improves outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as part of the department's RAISE literacy initiative.

Objectives

The study aims to test whether an AI reading tool improves literacy outcomes for disadvantaged and SEND pupils, while a separate scheme aims to reduce teacher workload by giving every school AI licences and training.

Activities

Over 15,000 pupils are enrolled in the 12-month matched-pair study: each begins with a 15-minute AI-assessed baseline literacy check (partly used to flag potential dyslexia), then uses the tool for 20 to 40 minutes a week, while participating teachers receive Oxford Brookes-delivered face-to-face and online training. On 6 May 2026, Education Minister Paul Givan separately announced a £10.7 million programme giving every school in Northern Ireland AI licences for all teaching staff, plus professional training and an online learning platform.

Conclusions

NASUWT union official Justin McCamphill said teachers 'remain deeply sceptical' that AI will ease workload pressures, citing unresolved concerns about data governance, procurement transparency and the possible use of AI for staff surveillance or performance management; the Department has not disclosed which AI provider underpins the £10.7m scheme, and no reading-outcome results from RAISE itself had yet been published.

Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M) — £10.7 million funds AI licences, training and an online platform for all teaching staff in Northern Ireland; the cost of the separate RAISE 15,000-pupil study is not disclosed.
Time to results
Short (< 1 year) — RAISE is a 12-month matched-pair trial announced June 2025; the separate £10.7m teacher-facing rollout was announced 6 May 2026, with the overall period given as 2025-2026.
Staffing & skills
Oxford Brookes University delivers face-to-face and online training for participating teachers in the RAISE matched-pair study, The £10.7m teacher-facing scheme provides AI licences, professional training and an online learning platform to every teaching staff member in Northern Ireland, though the underlying AI vendor has not been disclosed

Conditions for success

  • RAISE study uses a 15-minute AI-assessed baseline literacy check (partly to flag potential dyslexia) before assigning the tool for 20-40 minutes/week over 12 months, in a matched-pair design
  • The trial component explicitly targets disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND rather than a universal rollout

Common failure modes

  • Teachers' union (NASUWT) reports members remain 'deeply sceptical' the AI licence scheme will ease workload, given existing overwhelm
  • Unresolved concerns about data governance and procurement transparency, and risk that AI tools could be used for staff surveillance or performance management rather than reducing workload
  • As of reporting, no reading-outcome results from the RAISE study had been published despite the parallel scheme already rolling out nationally

Where it fits

Governance type
devolved-government department programme with university-led evaluation
Scale
national (Northern Ireland)-wide teacher rollout; 15,000-pupil study
Income level
high-income

Commonly funded by

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Data sources

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