Adapting one lesson for four different groups is the daily reality of primary teaching, and the bit that eats planning time. Here's a worked example of doing it with AI in minutes.
Start with a lesson you already have
The mistake is asking AI to plan from scratch. Your existing lesson has your curriculum, your resources and your knowledge of the class baked in. Give AI that as the starting point and it adapts rather than reinvents.
Prompt — the starting point
Here is my Year 4 science lesson plan on [topic, e.g. states of matter]: [paste your plan or outline]. I teach a mixed-ability class of 30, including 4 pupils working significantly below age expectation, 6 working above, and 3 with EAL who have good conceptual understanding but limited English vocabulary. Suggest how to adapt this lesson for each of those groups while keeping everyone working on the same key concept.
Describing groups generically like this — no names, no diagnoses — keeps it entirely safe. See staff acceptable use rules.
Then get the actual resources
Prompt — support group
For the pupils working below age expectation, create a version of the recording sheet with a partly completed table, sentence starters for the conclusion, and a word bank with correct spellings. Same investigation, same science, less writing load.
Prompt — extension
For the pupils working above, add an extension that requires them to predict what would happen if we changed one variable, and to explain their reasoning using scientific vocabulary. Don't just give them more of the same — make it think harder, not longer.
"Think harder, not longer" is worth saying explicitly. Left to itself AI extends by adding volume, which isn't challenge.
Prompt — EAL support
Create a bilingual key vocabulary sheet for this lesson in English and [language], with a simple English definition and a picture description for each term. 10 terms.
Getting explanations that land
Prompt — alternative explanations
Explain [the key concept] in three different ways for Year 4: one using a physical analogy, one using an everyday example children will recognise, and one very simple version. Flag any way each analogy could create a misconception.
See personalising learning with AI.
Check the science. Primary science is where AI errors are most likely to slip through unnoticed, because the content feels simple. Misconceptions embedded at Year 4 are stubborn — read every explanation with a sceptical eye, particularly the analogies, which are where inaccuracy usually hides.
What this realistically saves
Adapting one lesson three or four ways typically drops from 40–50 minutes to 10–15, including checking. Across a week of lessons that's a substantial share of your planning time — and the adaptations tend to be better, because you're choosing from options rather than producing something at 9pm.
Keep the professional judgement
AI doesn't know that one child finds group work distressing, or that another had a difficult morning. It offers options; you decide what fits the children in front of you. That's not a limitation to work around — it's the part of the job that matters.
Want your team adapting lessons in minutes?
We train primary staff on their real planning, not generic examples. AskColin gives schools low-cost monthly support with one-to-one help whenever you need it — so when you're stuck on a real job at 8am, there's someone to ask. Practical, jargon-free, built around your team.
Get one-to-one AI support for your schoolFrequently asked questions
How can AI adapt a lesson for mixed ability?
Paste your existing lesson plan and describe your groups generically — how many working below, above, and any EAL learners — then ask for adaptations that keep everyone on the same key concept. Follow up with prompts for the actual resources each group needs.
How do I stop AI just giving more work as extension?
Say 'make it think harder, not longer' explicitly. Left to itself AI extends by adding volume, which isn't challenge. Ask for tasks requiring prediction, explanation of reasoning, or applying the concept to an unfamiliar situation.
Is it safe to describe my class to AI?
Yes if described generically — 'four pupils working significantly below age expectation, three EAL learners with good conceptual understanding' — with no names, diagnoses or identifying details. That gives AI enough to adapt usefully with no data risk.
What should teachers check in AI science resources?
The science itself, particularly analogies. Primary science is where AI errors slip through unnoticed because the content feels simple, and misconceptions embedded at Year 4 are stubborn. Ask AI to flag where an analogy could mislead, then check anyway.